Abstract
The aim of the present meta-analysis was to analyze all available studies reporting clinical characteristics of breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) gene hypermethylated breast cancer in women, and to pool the results in order to provide a unique clinical profile of this cancer setting population.
Identifying the clinical profile of breast cancer in women harboring BRCA1 gene hypermethylation
may help oncologists select a subgroup of patients who may be candidates for BRCA1 methylation
assessment, thus, possibly enlarging the cancer population who may benefit from new target-therapy
agents. Results showed that BRCA1 gene hypermethylation should be suspected in all breast cancer
patients with advanced disease stages, positive lymph nodes, and premenopausal age at diagnosis.
Multidisciplinary groups treating women with breast cancer should take into account the possibility
of addressing patients with these characteristics with a BRCA1 gene methylation status analysis.
