Long-term study of pleuropulmonary blastoma, DICER1 variants, and associated tumors

PPB has strong genetic implications, with a unique set of conditions in an individual or their family, occurring mostly in childhood and adolescence. The International PPB/DICER1 Registry first reported DICER1 germline loss-of-function variations in individuals with PPB and their family members. Conditions associated with DICER1 include Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor (SLCT), gynandroblastoma, ovarian sarcoma, peritoneal PPB, lung cysts, renal cysts, cystic nephroma (CN), anaplastic sarcoma of the kidney (ASK), Wilms tumor, primary DICER1-associated central nervous system (CNS) sarcoma, pineoblastoma, pituitary blastoma, multinodular goiter, thyroid carcinoma, nasal chondromesenchymal hamartoma, ciliary body medulloepithelioma (CBME), juvenile hamartomatous intestinal polyps, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) and undifferentiated sarcoma. DICER1 variations may also be associated with macrocephaly and overgrowth syndrome.

The International PPB/DICER1 Registry estimates that 30-50 cases of Type I and Ir PPB and 40-60 cases of Types II and III PPB are diagnosed annually worldwide. In 2009, the International Pleuropulmonary Blastoma Registry began a prospective study to collect treatment data on individuals for whom therapy decisions were made by their treating institution.