RET Gene Mutations: Linked Conditions and Clinical Trials
The RET gene sits on chromosome 10q11.21, and its full name is ret proto-oncogene. Orphanet links RET to 10 rare conditions and lists variants in the gene as a cause of 7 of them. Trial Friend's RET Fusion Cancer, Medullary Thyroid Cancer, Familial Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma and Pheochromocytoma pages list RET among the genes behind each condition. As of September 29, 2026, 24 recruiting or soon-opening trials on ClinicalTrials.gov name RET as a gene.
Other symbols for RET in gene databases: CDHF12, CDHR16, PTC, RET51.
What the RET gene does
RET makes a receptor that spans the cell membrane and passes growth signals into the cell. It is needed for normal development of certain nerve cells, including nerves in the intestine, and for kidney development.
Summarized from the RET page on MedlinePlus Genetics, U.S. National Library of Medicine, checked September 29, 2026.
Conditions linked to RET on Trial Friend
These condition pages list RET among the genes behind the condition, checked against genetics references when each page was written.
Somatic RET fusions occur in about 1 to 2% of non-small cell lung cancers and in some thyroid cancers; germline RET variants cause MEN2, a separate entity.
About 20-30% of all MTC carries a germline RET variant (MEN2/FMTC), so germline RET testing is advised for every MTC patient; 40-50% of sporadic tumors have a somatic RET variant, most often M918T.
One disease-causing variant can be enough to cause the condition.
FMTC is the MTC-only end of the MEN2A spectrum; the RET codon involved predicts risk level and the recommended age for prophylactic thyroidectomy.
One disease-causing variant can be enough to cause the condition.
About 35% of cases are hereditary, so germline panel testing is recommended for essentially all patients.
RET mutation clinical trials
These recruiting or soon-opening trials mention RET as a gene in their title, summary, eligibility rules or keywords. Some want people with a variant in it, and others study it more broadly, which is why each trial's own words are shown. In cancer trials the gene change is usually one found in the tumor rather than one a person inherited.
24 trials, checked September 29, 2026. The list refreshes from ClinicalTrials.gov every few hours.
All conditions linked to RET gene mutations
Orphanet records how each gene relates to each condition. Orphanet links RET to 10 rare conditions and lists variants in the gene as a cause of 7 of them.
- Causes it. Disease-causing variants in this gene are a direct cause of the condition.
- Raises risk. Some variants raise the chance of the condition without guaranteeing it.
- Being studied. Researchers suspect a role that isn't confirmed yet.
- Fusion gene. The gene is part of an abnormal fusion found in the tumor, not usually inherited.
RET genetic test results and what a variant can mean
Labs sort each variant they find into 5 groups, from pathogenic and likely pathogenic through uncertain significance to likely benign and benign. Only the first 2 are usually treated as the cause of a condition. A variant of uncertain significance, or VUS, is one without enough evidence either way yet, and labs can reclassify it as research builds.
A genetic counselor or your doctor can explain what a specific result means for you and your family. Our genetic testing guide covers the terms, and MedlinePlus Genetics from the National Library of Medicine has a plain-language page on RET.
RET gene questions
What does the RET gene do?
RET makes a receptor that spans the cell membrane and passes growth signals into the cell. It is needed for normal development of certain nerve cells, including nerves in the intestine, and for kidney development. This summary follows MedlinePlus Genetics from the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Are there clinical trials for people with RET gene variants?
As of September 29, 2026, 24 recruiting or soon-opening trials on ClinicalTrials.gov name RET as a gene. Each one is listed on this page with the words from the trial that mention the gene. ClinicalTrials.gov also lists 10 open trials for RET Fusion Cancer, 27 for Medullary Thyroid Cancer, 2 for Familial Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma and 44 for Pheochromocytoma, and Match Me on Trial Friend can check those against age, sex, location and treatment history.
What conditions are linked to the RET gene?
Orphanet links RET to 10 rare conditions and lists variants in the gene as a cause of 7 of them. They include Isolated familial medullary thyroid carcinoma, Sporadic pheochromocytoma/secreting paraganglioma, Hereditary pheochromocytoma-paraganglioma, Haddad syndrome, Hirschsprung disease, Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A and 4 more. Orphanet is the European rare disease database run by INSERM in Paris.
Is RET Fusion Cancer inherited?
Somatic RET fusions occur in about 1 to 2% of non-small cell lung cancers and in some thyroid cancers; germline RET variants cause MEN2, a separate entity.
Is Medullary Thyroid Cancer inherited?
About 20-30% of all MTC carries a germline RET variant (MEN2/FMTC), so germline RET testing is advised for every MTC patient; 40-50% of sporadic tumors have a somatic RET variant, most often M918T.
What does a RET variant of uncertain significance mean?
A variant of uncertain significance, or VUS, is a change in the gene that labs don't yet have enough evidence to call disease-causing or harmless. It is not used on its own to diagnose a condition, and labs can reclassify it as research builds. A genetic counselor can explain what a specific result means for you and your family.
Sources
- Gene and condition links from Orphadata (Orphanet, INSERM US14), used under CC BY 4.0, read September 29, 2026.
- Trials from ClinicalTrials.gov, read September 29, 2026.
- RET gene, MedlinePlus Genetics, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- Inheritance and gene notes from the Trial Friend condition pages above, each checked against genetics references.
Other gene pages
The gene search covers every gene Orphanet links to a rare disease.