SPECIAL NOTE: This seminar has been cancelled but may be rescheduled at a later date in a different format. We will post any updates we receive.
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MEN, carcinoid, and neuroendocrine tumor patients, family members, caregivers, advocacy groups, physicians, and healthcare professionals are invited to attend the Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Seminar presented by American Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Support (a division of The Hageman Foundation) in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic. The seminar will be held September 14 to 16, 2011 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Rochester, Minnesota. A special rate will be available for seminar guests staying at the hotel.
The program will both serve to educate patients and to provide an opportunity to meet others with MEN in a supportive environment. Topics to be explored are:
- Genetics and MEN
- State of the Art MEN Type 1, Type 2a and Type 2b Medical Information
- MEN Endocrinology updates on:
Pituitary
Pancreas
Parathyroid
- Specialty areas involving:
Surgery
Radiology
Pharmacy
Whipple Procedure
Dr. Maria Luisa Brandi
Several Mayo Clinic specialty physicians who treat MEN patients and have a particular interest in MEN will be speaking and available to answer questions from symposium guests.
Prof. Maria Luisa Brandi, MD, one of the world’s leading experts on MEN, will be a featured speaker. Dr. Brandi, Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases at the University of Florence, Italy, has focused her research on metabolic bone disorders, parathyroid diseases, MEN syndromes, bone cell biology, endocrine cell biology, and the genetics of metabolic and endocrine disorders. She is the lead author on an international study that produced consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and therapy of MEN Type 1 and Type 2, published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. In addition to earning a medical degree from the University of Florence, she holds a Ph.D. in cell biology from the University of Rome.
Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndromes received their name because they predispose people to develop tumors of the endocrine glands. The endocrine system is comprised of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream that control numerous processes within the body. The endocrine system is instrumental in regulating mood, growth and development, metabolism, as well as sexual function and reproductive processes.
The major glands of the endocrine system affected by the MEN syndromes are the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroids, adrenals and pancreas. Currently, there are two distinct MEN syndromes, MEN1 and MEN2. In some ways, the two syndromes are similar, but there are important differences.
MEN1 is an inherited disorder that causes tumors in the endocrine glands and the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. MEN1 is sometimes called multiple endocrine adenomatosis or Wermer’s syndrome, after one of the first doctors to recognize it. MEN1 is rare, occurring in about one in 30,000 people. The disorder affects both sexes equally and shows no geographical, racial, or ethnic preferences.
The tumors associated with MEN1 are usually benign, meaning they are not cancerous. However, they can disrupt normal function by releasing hormones or by crowding nearby tissue. Eventually, about half of people with MEN1 will develop a cancerous pancreatic or carcinoid tumor.
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2) is characterized by a very high risk of developing medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). Individuals with MEN2 have a greater than 95% chance of developing MTC in their lifetime. MEN2 is divided into three clinical subtypes: MEN2A, MEN2B, and Familial Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma.
To read more about MEN, visit the Mayo Clinic’s website for information about Type 1 at http://www.mayoclinic.org/men1, about Type 2 at cancer.net, oncologist-approved cancer information from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or the National Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Information Service by clicking here http://endocrine.niddk.nih.gov.
In addition to the symposium presentations, there will be fun, socializing events and the opportunity to create an American Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Support advocacy group to have a voice regarding MEN information and funding research. Symposium guests will also be able to have a rare, behind-the-scenes tour of the Mayo Clinic.
Guests staying at the DoubleTree Hotel (a two-block walk to the Mayo Clinic) will have free shuttle service to area locations. There are also shuttle services to and from Minneapolis (Mall of America and Minneapolis Airport) and Rochester Airport for a fee.
Additional information about the Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) Seminar at the Mayo Clinic will be available at http://amensupport.org or by calling American Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Support at 865-238-5842 or toll-free at 866-612-8579.
