Who Should Consider MEN1 Screening by Laboratory Tests?
MEN1 screening by gene testing will be the most definitive test, when it is available. However, it is not yet widely available, and, when no gene mutation is found in a MEN1 family, then it may be necessary to rely upon laboratory tests for diagnosis. Hyperparathyroidism, most often the first sign of MEN1, can usually be detected by blood tests between the ages of 15 and 50. Periodic testing should begin around age 10 and be repeated every year. There is no age at which periodic testing should stop, since doctors cannot rule out the chance that a person has inherited the MEN1 gene mutation. However, a person with normal testing beyond age 50 is very unlikely to have inherited the MEN1 gene mutation.
