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Patient handout

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B (MEN2B)

PRODUCTION

1. Your condition

This handout is for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2b (men2b). Your care team identified this based on: mucosal neuromas ("bumpy lip"/tongue/eyelid) + marfanoid habitus in a child (2015 ata wells).

Other reasons your team may use this plan: infantile chronic constipation / megacolon / feeding failure — intestinal ganglioneuromatosis (often earliest clue) (2015 ata wells); elevated calcitonin / cea or thyroid nodule = medullary thyroid carcinoma (2015 ata wells); ret m918t (codon 918) carrier or first-degree relative with men2b (2015 ata wells).

2. Your medications

Take these medications exactly as prescribed. Do not stop or change a dose without talking to your provider.

MedicationStarting doseHowWhenWhat it does
RET germline sequencing (codon 918 M918T) + genetic counseling2015 ATA Wells — M918T (~95% of MEN2B) defines ATA HIGHEST risk; counsel that ~50% are de novo (paternal origin) so absent family history does NOT exclude
cascade RET testing of first-degree relatives2015 ATA Wells — autosomal dominant; test at-risk relatives to identify carriers needing prophylactic thyroidectomy

Plan: MEN2B sequenced pathway — phenotype/RET → pheo FIRST (α then β) → prophylactic total thyroidectomy in first year of life → metastatic MTC RET inhibitor → GI supportive → surveillance

3. When to call your provider

Contact your care team if any of the following happen:

  • Pheo crisis / resistant HTN → ED + admit (2015 ATA Wells)
  • Metastatic MTC / rapidly rising calcitonin → oncology + admit (LIBRETTO-001)
  • Infant feeding failure / obstructive megacolon → admit (2015 ATA Wells)

4. When to seek emergency care

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have:

  • Distant/metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma at presentation, including in infancy/early childhood (2015 ATA Wells)(life-threatening)
  • Hypertensive / catecholamine crisis from undiagnosed or unblocked pheochromocytoma in a MEN2B patient (2015 ATA Wells; Endocrine Society 2014)(life-threatening)
  • MEN2B phenotype (mucosal neuromas / marfanoid / infantile GI ganglioneuromatosis) present but RET testing/thyroidectomy not yet done in a child (2015 ATA Wells)
  • Infantile feeding failure / failure to thrive or obstructive megacolon from intestinal ganglioneuromatosis (2015 ATA Wells)
  • β-blocker started before adequate α-blockade in MEN2B-associated pheochromocytoma (2015 ATA Wells; Endocrine Society 2014)(life-threatening)
  • Post-thyroidectomy biochemical persistence/recurrence — calcitonin/CEA rising with short doubling time (2015 ATA Wells)

5. Follow-up

Lifelong endocrine/oncology/genetics; cascade RET testing of at-risk relatives (counsel ~50% de novo); annual calcitonin/CEA/metanephrines; GI follow-up for ganglioneuromatosis; reproductive counseling (autosomal dominant, prenatal/PGT options)

6. Sources

Guideline: 2015 revised ATA Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Guidelines (Wells); 2021-2025 MEN2B/RET updates (LIBRETTO-001 selpercatinib; ARROW pralsetinib)

  1. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25810047
  2. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32846061
  3. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34118198