Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36893489›Full record

ArticleGynecologic oncology2023

MLH1-methylated endometrial cancer under 60 years of age as the "sentinel" cancer in female carriers of high-risk constitutional MLH1 epimutation.

Megan P Hitchins, Rocio Alvarez, Lisa Zhou, Francesca Aguirre, Estela Dámaso, Marta Pineda, Gabriel Capella, Justin J-L Wong, Xiaopu Yuan, Shawnia R Ryan and 8 more

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Gynecologic oncology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed
5.6field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Human mutation · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. ConstitutionalHuman mutation · 2024
    Review
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Cancers · 2023
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors at 12 institutions in 3 countries.

Megan P HitchinsDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Medicine (Oncology), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. Electronic address: megan.hitchins@cshs.org.
Rocio AlvarezDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Lisa ZhouDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Francesca AguirreDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Estela DámasoDepartment of Medicine (Oncology), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Hereditary Cancer Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), ONCOBELL Program, Av. Gran Via de l'Hospitalet, 199-203, 08908 L' Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Molecular Genetics Unit, Elche University Hospital, Elche, Alicante. Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO), FISABIO- Elche Health Department, Spain.
Marta PinedaMolecular Genetics Unit, Elche University Hospital, Elche, Alicante. Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO), FISABIO- Elche Health Department, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Cancer - CIBERONC, Carlos III Institute of Health, Av. De Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
Gabriel CapellaMolecular Genetics Unit, Elche University Hospital, Elche, Alicante. Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO), FISABIO- Elche Health Department, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Cancer - CIBERONC, Carlos III Institute of Health, Av. De Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
Justin J-L WongEpigenetics and RNA Biology Program Centenary Institute, and Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2050, Australia.
Xiaopu YuanDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Shawnia R RyanHereditary Cancer Assessment Program, University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, NM, USA.
Devika S SathePrecision Medicine and Genetics, Frederick Health, MD, USA.
Melanie D BaxterSaint Francis Healthcare System, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA.
Timothy CannonCancer Genetics Program, Inova Schar Cancer Institute, Inova Fairfax Hospital, VA, USA.
Rakesh BiswasCancer Genetics Program, Inova Schar Cancer Institute, Inova Fairfax Hospital, VA, USA.
Tiffani DeMarcoCancer Genetics Program, Inova Schar Cancer Institute, Inova Fairfax Hospital, VA, USA.
Doreen GrzelakVirginia Cancer Specialists, Fairfax, VA, USA.
Heather HampelDepartment of Internal Medicine and the Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics, Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA.
Rachel PearlmanDepartment of Internal Medicine and the Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · USFundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana · ESInova Fairfax Hospital · USCancer Genetics (United States) · USCity Of Hope National Medical Center · USInstitut Català d'Oncologia · ESPrecision for Medicine (United States) · USStanford University · USThe Ohio State University · USUniversity of New Mexico · USUniversity of Sydney · AUVirginia Cancer Specialists · US

Funding

Translational Therapeutics Research Program (TT)P30CA016058 · NCI · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · PI Tasleem J Padamsee · 1985 to 2026
$132.3M
INCIDENCE AND MOLECULAR SCREENING FOR HEREDITARY CANCERR01CA067941 · NCI · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · PI DE LA CHAPELLE, ALBERT · 2000 to 2004
$2.9M
The mechanistic basis for constitutional MLH1 methylation (epimutation)R01CA218342 · NCI · CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER · PI HITCHINS, MEGAN P · 2019 to 2022
$1.9M
NATURAL HISTORY AND INCIDENCE OF HEREDITARY COLON CANCERU01CA067941 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI · PI DE LA CHAPELLE, ALBERT · 1996 to 1999
–
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA016058NCI NIH HHS R01 CA067941NCI NIH HHS R01 CA218342NCI NIH HHS U01 CA067941
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveUniversal screening of endometrial carcinoma (EC) for mismatch repair deficiency (MMRd) and Lynch syndrome uses presence of MLH1 methylation to omit common sporadic cases from follow-up germline testing. However, this overlooks rare cases with high-risk constitutional MLH1 methylation (epimutation), a poorly-recognized mechanism that predisposes to Lynch-type cancers with MLH1 methylation. We aimed to determine the role and frequency of constitutional MLH1 methylation among EC cases with MMRd, MLH1-methylated tumors.

methodsWe screened blood for constitutional MLH1 methylation using pyrosequencing and real-time methylation-specific PCR in patients with MMRd, MLH1-methylated EC ascertained from (i) cancer clinics (n = 4, <60 years), and (ii) two population-based cohorts; "Columbus-area" (n = 68, all ages) and "Ohio Colorectal Cancer Prevention Initiative (OCCPI)" (n = 24, <60 years).

resultsConstitutional MLH1 methylation was identified in three out of four patients diagnosed between 36 and 59 years from cancer clinics. Two had mono-/hemiallelic epimutation (∼50% alleles methylated). One with multiple primaries had low-level mosaicism in normal tissues and somatic "second-hits" affecting the unmethylated allele in all tumors, demonstrating causation. In the population-based cohorts, all 68 cases from the Columbus-area cohort were negative and low-level mosaic constitutional MLH1 methylation was identified in one patient aged 36 years out of 24 from the OCCPI cohort, representing one of six (∼17%) patients <50 years and one of 45 patients (∼2%) <60 years in the combined cohorts. EC was the first/dual-first cancer in three patients with underlying constitutional MLH1 methylation.

conclusionsA correct diagnosis at first presentation of cancer is important as it will significantly alter clinical management. Screening for constitutional MLH1 methylation is warranted in patients with early-onset EC or synchronous/metachronous tumors (any age) displaying MLH1 methylation.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsEndometrial NeoplasmsAdaptor Proteins, Signal TransducingBrain NeoplasmsDNA MethylationDNA Mismatch RepairFemaleHumansMiddle AgedMutL Protein Homolog 1Neoplastic Syndromes, HereditaryPedigreeAdaptor Proteins, Signal TransducingMLH1 protein, humanMutL Protein Homolog 1Constitutional MLH1 epimutationEndometrial cancerLynch syndromeMLH1 methylation

Identifiers

PMID36893489
PMCPMC10153467
OpenAlexW4323565899

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.