Gene expression profiling of endocrine tumors using DNA microarrays: progress and promise

Genomewide profiling of gene expression, made possible by the development of DNA microarray technology and more powerful by the sequencing of the human genome, has led to advances in tumor classification and biomarker discovery for the common types of human neoplasia. Application of this approach to the field of endocrine neoplasia is in its infancy, although some progress has been recently reported. In this review, the progress to date is summarized and the promise of DNA microarray analysis in conjunction with tissue array immunohistochemistry to significantly impact endocrine tumor diagnosis and prognosis is discussed.