Primary prevention
Nothing can be done to prevent this genetic disease, but annual screening for new endocrine tumours can help to reduce associated morbidities and mortalities.
Secondary prevention
Early identification and treatment of MEN carriers can significantly decrease morbidity and mortality rates. For example, mortality in MEN2 can be reduced from over 20% to <5% by performing total thyroidectomies and neck lymph node dissections (to minimise the chances of medullary thyroid cancer development) in childhood.[12][80] For some mutations this can be done as early as the first year of life.
Prophylactic removal of other organs is not as simple. However, regular monitoring of identified carriers allows early intervention once tumours develop and can reduce phaeochromocytoma and enterochromaffin-like cell tumour mortalities.[91]
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