Question: I know a woman whose husband died of Cushing's Syndrome and her daughter subsequently developed it. Is Cushing's Syndrome hereditary?

Answer: As a rule, Cushing's is not hereditary. However, there is an extremely rare condition called "multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1" which can run in families. This disorder involves a combination of benign endocrine tumors of the parathyroid, pancreatic and pituitary glands. It is theoretically possible that two people in a family with this disorder could have Cushing's syndrome.