Detecting breast cancer

Abstract

Provided herein is technology for breast cancer screening and particularly, but not exclusively, to methods, compositions, and related uses for detecting the presence of breast cancer.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 measuring a methylation level for four genes in a biological sample of a human individual through 
 treating genomic DNA in the biological sample with a reagent that modifies DNA in a methylation-specific manner; 
 amplifying the treated genomic DNA using a specific set of primers for each of the selected genes; and 
 determining the methylation level of the four genes by polymerase chain reaction, nucleic acid sequencing, mass spectrometry, methylation-specific nuclease, mass-based separation, and or target capture; 
 wherein the four genes are TRIM67, OTX1, MPZ and BANK1. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the DNA is treated with a reagent that modifies DNA in a methylation-specific manner. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the reagent comprises one or more of a methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme, a methylation-dependent restriction enzyme, and a bisulfite reagent. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the DNA is treated with a bisulfite reagent to produce bisulfite-treated DNA. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the measuring comprises multiplex amplification. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein measuring the amount of at least one methylated marker gene comprises using one or more methods selected from the group consisting of methylation-specific PCR, quantitative methylation-specific PCR, methylation-specific DNA restriction enzyme analysis, quantitative bisulfite pyrosequencing, flap endonuclease assay, PCR-flap assay, and bisulfite genomic sequencing PCR. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the specific set of primers for each of the four genes is selected from the group consisting of:
 for BANK1 a set of primers consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 15 and 16, 
 for OTX1 a set of primers consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 189 and 190, 
 for TRIM67 a set of primers consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 247 and 248, and 
 for MPZ a set of primers consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 175 and 176. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sample comprises tissue. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the tissue is breast tissue. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sample is blood, serum, or plasma.