A Review on the Impact of Aberrant Methylation in Breast Cancer: Diagnostic, Prognostic, and Therapeutic Approaches.

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is still a major global health concern, and a key factor in its pathophysiology is epigenetic abnormalities, specifically DNA methylation and histone modifications. This review offers a thorough examination of current research on the effects of these epigenetic changes in BC, emphasizing significant discoveries in the fields of prognosis, diagnostics, and treatment strategies. In particular, the advancement of breast cancer and patient survival have been connected to promoter methylation of genes including BRCA1, DAPK1, and RASSF1A. Furthermore, there is a correlation between tumor size and grade and the methylation state of APAF1, GSTP1, and ER. Histone modifications, such as acetylation and methylation, are essential for controlling gene expression in breast cancer. Changes in these modifications are associated with the advancement of tumors and resistance to therapy. The analysis highlights the potential of methylation-targeting medicines to improve the effectiveness of traditional chemotherapy and reveals particular methylation indicators that differentiate malignant tissues from normal ones. Further clinical validation is necessary to confirm the efficacy of DNMT and HMT inhibitors in mitigating hormone resistance and epigenetic modifications in BC, despite encouraging outcomes. Large-scale trials are necessary to validate these results, and investigating combination therapy, including those targeting histone modifications, to enhance patient outcomes is one of the main recommendations.