How often tumors show up with a DICER1 gene change
Original title: Refining neoplasm risk in DICER1-related tumor predisposition.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This was a look back at patient records, not a test of any treatment.
The short version
A large study looked at how often people with a DICER1 gene change get tumors.
What was studied. Doctors at one center in Paris tested 945 people for changes in the DICER1 gene. They looked closely at 584 people who were tested because of their own health, plus 170 of their relatives who carried the gene change.
What they found. Of the 584 people, 91 (16%) were born with a DICER1 gene change. Another 31 (5%) had the change only in their tumor, not in the rest of their body. The team also found tumor types not linked to DICER1 before, including a brain tumor called ETMR-like. Among the 170 relatives with the gene change, 4.8% had a cancer by 10 years and 15.8% by 50 years.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: A gene test can show if you carry this change. Carrying it does not mean you will get a tumor. Most relatives with the change did not get cancer. If you carry it, your doctor may want to check on you more often. The study also adds a brain tumor type to the list linked to this gene.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a treatment, and it is not a cure. The team looked back at past patient records. They did not test any drug or therapy. The numbers come from one center in France and may be different for other people. One tumor type, schwannoma, is only a possible link so far. It is not settled.
Source: PubMed, October 2, 2026 · Read the original
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