Conclusions
Cancerous nipple fluid contains increased levels of methylation of tumor suppressor genes that potentially could serve as a biomarker for early breast cancer detection.
Methods
Methylation levels of 13 genes were analysed by quantitative multiplex-methylation specific PCR (QM-MSP) in nipple fluid samples from breasts of healthy women, and from the affected and contralateral breasts of breast cancer patients.
Results
Methylation analysis of the low-volume nipple fluid samples was feasible. Despite the generally low methylation levels, cancerous and healthy breasts nipple fluid could be discriminated with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.64 (p<0.01) based on a multivariate model including AKR1B1, ALX1, RASSF1A and TM6SF1. Within-patient differences between cancerous and contralateral nipple fluid samples were less prominent. Conclusions: Cancerous nipple fluid contains increased levels of methylation of tumor suppressor genes that potentially could serve as a biomarker for early breast cancer detection.