ArticleThe breast journal2022
Evaluating DNA Methylation in Random Fine Needle Aspirates from the Breast to Inform Cancer Risk.
Article in The breast journal, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Can DNA Methylation in Peritumoral and Contralateral Breast Tissue Predict Recurrence or Second Breast Cancers?Current issues in molecular biology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
16 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Introduction: Critical regulatory genes are functionally silenced by DNA hypermethylation in breast cancer and premalignant lesions. The objective of this study was to examine whether DNA methylation assessed in random fine needle aspirates (rFNA) can be used to inform breast cancer risk. Methods: In 20 women with invasive breast cancer scheduled for surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, cumulative methylation status was assessed in a comprehensive manner. rFNA was performed on tumors, adjacent normal tissues, and all remaining quadrants. Pathology review was conducted on blocks from all excised tissue. The cumulative methylation index (CMI) for 12 genes was assessed by a highly sensitive QM-MSP assay in 280 aspirates and tissue from 11 incidental premalignant lesions. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal Wallis tests were used to compare median CMI by patient, location, and tumor characteristics. Results: The median age of participants was 49 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 44-58). DNA methylation was detectable at high levels in all tumor aspirates (median CMI = 252, IQR: 75-111). Methylation was zero or low in aspirates from adjacent tissue (median CMI = 11, IQR: 0-13), and other quadrants (median CMI = 2, IQR: 1-5). Nineteen incidental lesions were identified in 13 women (4 malignant and 15 premalignant). Median CMI levels were not significantly different in aspirates from quadrants ( Conclusions: The diagnostic accuracy of methylation based on rFNA alone to detect premalignant lesions or at-risk quadrants is poor and therefore should not be used to evaluate cancer risk. A more targeted approach needs to be evaluated.
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Registered trials
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.