The eyelids and lips may thicken. Gastrointestinal tract abnormalities cause constipation and diarrhea. These abnormalities probably result from neuromas growing on the intestinal nerves. People with type IIB disease often develop spinal abnormalities, especially curvature of the spine, as well as bony abnormalities of the feet and thighbones. No cure is known for any of the multiple endocrine neoplasias.
Doctors treat each tumor individually, either by removing it or by correcting the hormone imbalance.
Because medullary thyroid cancer is ultimately fatal if untreated, a doctor will most likely recommend surgically removing the thyroid gland if a person with type IIA disease has pheochromocytoma or hyperparathyroidism, even if the diagnosis of medullary thyroid cancer can't be established before the surgery. In type IIB disease, medullary thyroid cancer is particularly aggressive. A doctor will recommend removing the thyroid gland as soon as the diagnosis is established. This type of thyroid cancer can't be treated with radioactive iodine. Screening Since about half of the children of people with multiple endocrine neoplasia will inherit the disease, screening is important for early diagnosis and treatment.