Clinical Trial: Genetics of Endocrine Tumours - Familial Isolated Pituitary Adenoma - FIPA

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Recruiting
Study Type: Observational



Official Title: Genetics of Endocrine Tumours - Familial Isolated Pituitary Adenoma - FIPA

Brief Summary:

The research is aimed at identifying new predisposition genes for endocrine tumours. Our focus initially is on pituitary adenomas including growth hormone-secreting tumors (somatotrophinomas) and prolactin secreting tumours (prolactinomas), but we wish to extend work to other pituitary tumour cases/families.

The recruitment process will be as follows.

  1. We will recruit patients from our own Endocrine outpatient clinics and inpatient wards. In addition we will ask colleagues in other Endocrinology Departments (or other specialties such as Clinical Genetics,Pathology, General Medicine ) to identify potentially suitable patients with endocrine & pituitary tumours from their records. We shall focus on patients with good evidence of inheritance of their condition: relatively early onset; or multiple lesions; or other affected family members. Conditions where the predisposing genes have been identified (principally MEN) will be excluded from study. Patients directly contacting us can also enter the study.
  2. The Consultant looking after the patient will contact the patient to initially inform him/her of the study.
  3. We will then contact the patient (generally by telephone) to discuss the study and what it would entail in terms of information and samples.
  4. Subject to agreement in (3), patient will receive 'Information Sheet for patients with pituitary tumour' and 'Consent Form' and will have blood sampling in Consultant's clinic.
  5. We will contact additional family members (if appropriate) after an initial approach by the family member already recruited to the study. The additional family members may have developed tumours similar to those of the proband, or may be u