Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42363280›Full record

ArticleBreast cancer research : BCR2026

Tumour-based DNA methylation markers of breast cancer survival: a pooled analysis of 2157 cases.

Elaheh Zarean, Shuai Li, Enes Makalic, Roger L Milne, Graham G Giles, Catriona McLean, Melissa C Southey, Pierre-Antoine Dugué

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Breast cancer research : BCR, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Elaheh ZareanPrecision Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
Shuai LiPrecision Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
Enes MakalicDepartment of Data Science and AI, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
Roger L MilnePrecision Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
Graham G GilesPrecision Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
Catriona McLeanAnatomical Pathology, Alfred Health, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Melissa C SoutheyPrecision Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
Pierre-Antoine DuguéPrecision Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC, Australia. pierre-antoine.dugue@monash.edu.

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council GNT1011618 and GNT1074383National Health and Medical Research Council GNT2017373National Health and Medical Research Council GNT209057 and GNT396414Victorian Cancer Agency MCRF22025
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTumour DNA methylation is a potentially valuable marker of breast cancer survival, but previous studies have been limited by relatively small sample sizes. This study aimed to use a large sample size to identify survival-associated DNA methylation markers and develop a methylation-based signature predictive of breast cancer survival.

methodsWe used DNA methylation data from 2,157 breast tumours collected in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS) and nine publicly available datasets. An epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) was conducted for five-year overall survival (N = 1,992 cases). Subgroup analyses were carried out by estrogen receptor status. Pathway enrichment analyses were conducted to identify related biological pathways. Elastic net Cox regression was used to develop a signature of survival from DNA methylation data and clinical characteristics, trained on publicly available datasets and tested in the MCCS (N = 425) in addition to the main clinical characteristics. A set of triple-negative tumours (N = 165) with disease-free survival as the outcome was used for additional replication.

resultsWe identified 2,535 CpGs showing an association (P < 1 × 10

conclusionOur findings revealed numerous CpG sites where tumour DNA methylation was associated with breast cancer survival. A substantial improvement in the accuracy of five-year overall survival prediction was achieved by adding a 228-CpG epigenetic score to the main clinicopathological variables. These results suggest that DNA methylation markers may provide additional prognostic information beyond established clinicopathological factors.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorBreast NeoplasmsDNA MethylationAdultAgedCpG IslandsDisease-Free SurvivalEpigenesis, GeneticFemaleGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansMiddle AgedPrognosisReceptors, EstrogenBiomarkers, TumorReceptors, EstrogenBreast cancerDNA methylationEpigenome-wide association studyPrediction modelSurvival

Identifiers

PMID42363280
PMCPMC13579885

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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.