RAD51C

Chr 17AR

RAD51 paralog C

Also known as: BROVCA3, FANCO, R51H3, RAD51L2

The RAD51C protein is essential for homologous recombination DNA repair, functioning in RAD51 paralog complexes to repair double-strand DNA breaks and resolve Holliday junctions. Autosomal recessive mutations cause Fanconi anemia complementation group O, while the gene also confers susceptibility to familial breast-ovarian cancer. This gene is extremely intolerant of loss-of-function variants (pLI near 1.0), indicating strong evolutionary constraint.

GeneReviewsOMIMResearchSummary from RefSeq, OMIM, UniProt
LOFmechanismARLOEUF 1.492 OMIM phenotypes
Clinical SummaryRAD51C
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Gene-Disease Validity (ClinGen)
RAD51C-related cancer predisposition · ADDefinitive

Definitive — sufficient evidence for diagnostic panels

2 total gene-disease associations curated

Population Constraint (gnomAD)
Low constraint (pLI 0.00) — loss-of-function variants are relatively tolerated in the population.
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ClinVar Variants
132 unique Pathogenic / Likely Pathogenic· 176 VUS of 600 total submissions
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Clinical Trials
12 active or recruiting trials — potential therapeutic options may be available
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GeneReview available — RAD51C
Authoritative clinical overview · Recommended first read
Open GeneReview ↗

Population Genetics & Constraint

gnomAD v4 — loss-of-function & missense intolerance

Tolerant — LoF & missense variants common in population
LoF Constraint
1.49LOEUF
pLI 0.000
Z-score -0.11
OE 1.03 (0.721.49)
Tolerant

Highly tolerant — LoF variants common in population

Missense Constraint
0.13Z-score
OE missense 0.98 (0.871.10)
200 obs / 205.1 exp
Tolerant

Mild missense constraint

Observed / Expected Ratios
LoF OE1.03 (0.721.49)
00.351.4
Missense OE0.98 (0.871.10)
00.61.4
Synonymous OE0.97
01.21.6
LoF obs/exp: 20 / 19.5Missense obs/exp: 200 / 205.1Syn Z: 0.18
Curated Mechanism (G2P)Gene2Phenotype (DDG2P) ↗
strongRAD51C-related Fanconi anemiaOTHERAR
definitiveRAD51C-related cancerLOFAD
DN
0.6356th %ile
GOF
0.4678th %ile
LOF
0.4038th %ile

This gene has evidence for multiple mechanisms of pathogenicity (loss-of-function and dominant-negative). The Badonyi & Marsh model scores dominant-negative highest among its predictions, but genomic evidence (constraint, ClinVar variant spectrum, and literature) most strongly supports loss-of-function (haploinsufficiency). Different variants in this gene may act through different mechanisms — interpret in context of the specific variant.

LOF1 literature citation · 68% of P/LP variants are LoF
DNprediction above median

Note: In-silico variant effect predictors (SIFT, PolyPhen, REVEL, CADD) may underestimate pathogenicity of missense variants in genes with GOF or DN mechanisms. Consider functional evidence and clinical context.

Literature Evidence

LOFAdditional study of 1100 unrelated individuals from pedigrees with either breast or ovarian cancer or both. This study identified 3 different loss of function variants. The p.Cis176Leufs*26 in a family with one individual with ovarian cancer, one with breast cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and one PMID:20400964

Predictions from Badonyi M, Marsh JA. PLoS ONE. 2024;19(8):e0307312. Mechanism ranking also informed by gnomAD constraint, ClinVar, and ClinGen data.

ClinVar Variant Classifications

600 submitted variants in ClinVar

Classification Summary

Pathogenic78
Likely Pathogenic54
VUS176
Likely Benign175
Benign75
Conflicting34
78
Pathogenic
54
Likely Pathogenic
176
VUS
175
Likely Benign
75
Benign
34
Conflicting

Curated Variants Distribution

Classified variants from ClinVar · 5 ACMG categories

ClassificationLoFMissense + InframeNon-codingSynonymousTotal
Pathogenic
57
0
21
0
78
Likely Pathogenic
33
6
15
0
54
VUS
5
135
32
4
176
Likely Benign
0
17
89
69
175
Benign
1
23
11
40
75
Conflicting
34
Total96181168113592

LoF = frameshift, stop gained/lost, canonical splice · Counts from ClinVar esearch · Updated hourly

View in ClinVar →

Protein Context — Lollipop Plot

RAD51C · protein map & ClinVar variants

Showing all ClinVar variants across the protein. Search a specific variant to highlight its position.

3D Protein StructureAlphaFold

Clinical Trials

Active and recruiting trials from ClinicalTrials.gov

Advanced Solid TumorsEwing SarcomaHepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)

A Phase 1/1B Study of ST-01156, a Small Molecule RBM39 Degrader, in Patients With Advanced Solid Malignancies

RECRUITING
NCT07197554Phase PHASE1SEED Therapeutics, Inc.Started 2025-12-01
ST-01156
Malignant Neoplasm of BreastBreast Cancer

Comprehensive Analysis of Predictors of the Treatment With Pembrolizumab and Olaparib in Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic HER2 Negative Breast Cancer and a Deleterious Germline Mutation or a Homologous Recombination Deficiency (COMPRENDO

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING
NCT05033756Phase PHASE2Institut fuer FrauengesundheitStarted 2022-07-30
Pembrolizumab Injection [Keytruda]Olaparib Oral Tablet [Lynparza]
BRCA MutationPALB2 Gene MutationDuctal Carcinoma in Situ

Low Dose TamOxifen and LifestylE Changes for bReast cANcer prevenTion

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING
NCT06033092Phase PHASE2European Institute of OncologyStarted 2024-06-21
Tamoxifen 10 mg TabletIntermittent caloric restrictionStep counter Device
Polycythemia VeraEssential ThrombocythaemiaMyelofibrosis

Prevalence Of Germline Gene Mutations In Patients With Myeloproliferative Neoplasms With Family History

NOT YET RECRUITING
NCT06923670Phase NAFondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCSStarted 2025-05-21
NGS testingNGS analysis for mutations in genes involved in familial predisposition to hematological malignancies
Ovarian CancerBreast Cancer

A Bidirectional Cohort Study on Prophylactic Resection Surgery in Populations at Moderate-to-High Risk for Hereditary Ovarian Cancer

RECRUITING
NCT07532434Peking University Third HospitalStarted 2025-09-30
BRCA1 Gene MutationBRCA2 Gene MutationRAD51C Gene Mutation

TUBectomy With Delayed Oophorectomy in High Risk Women to Assess the Safety of Prevention

RECRUITING
NCT04294927Phase NAUniversity Medical Center NijmegenStarted 2020-03-01
Risk-reducing salpingectomy with delayed oophorectomyRisk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy
Ovarian Cancer

Evaluation of Polygenic Risk Score for Epithelial OVarian cancEr Risk Prediction: the PROVE Study

RECRUITING
NCT06935344Catholic University of the Sacred HeartStarted 2025-06-01
Polygenic Risk ScoreBiopsy on normal contralateral ovaryPharmacogenetic profiles
BRCA1 MutationPOLD1 Gene MutationCDKN2A Mutation

An Intervention to Increase Genetic Testing in Families Who May Share a Gene Mutation Related to Cancer Risk and An Intervention to Help Patients and Their Primary Care Providers Stay Up-to-date About Uncertain Genetic Test Results

RECRUITING
NCT05420064Phase NAMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterStarted 2022-12-01
Intervention Arm At-risk Relative/ARR ContactsMyGene PortalStandard of Care
Breast Cancer RiskOvarian Cancer RiskCancer Gene Mutation

Population Based Germline Testing for Early Detection and Prevention of Cancer

RECRUITING
NCT07498829Phase NAQueen Mary University of LondonStarted 2025-12-18
Genetic testing for Cancer Susceptibility Genes (CSGs) (BRCA1, BRCA2, RAD51C, RAD51D, BRIP1, PALB2, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6) and personalised breast and ovarian cancer risk
Deleterious BARD1 Gene MutationDeleterious BRCA1 Gene MutationDeleterious BRCA2 Gene Mutation

Surgery in Preventing Ovarian Cancer in Patients With Genetic Mutations

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING
NCT02760849Phase NAM.D. Anderson Cancer CenterStarted 2016-05-02
Laboratory Biomarker AnalysisOophorectomyQuality-of-Life Assessment
Breast NeoplasmTriple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)HRD

PHOENIX DDR/Anti-PD-L1 Trial: A Pre-surgical Window of Opportunity and Post-surgical Adjuvant Biomarker Study of DNA Damage Response Inhibition With or Without Anti-PD-L1 Immunotherapy in Patients With Neoadjuvant Treatment Resistant Residual Triple Negative Breast Cancer

RECRUITING
NCT03740893Phase PHASE2Institute of Cancer Research, United KingdomStarted 2019-10-15
AZD6738OlaparibDurvalumab
Malignant Solid Neoplasms

Adapting Treatment to the Tumor Molecular Alterations for Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors: MyOwnSpecificTreatment

RECRUITING
NCT02029001Phase PHASE2Centre Leon BerardStarted 2014-03
Nilotinib (400 mg BID)Everolimus (10 mg QD)Sorafenib (400 mg BID)
Clinical Literature
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Full-Text Mentions
NLP-detected gene mentions in article bodies · via PubTator3
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