# DNA methylation biomarkers and ancestry in breast cancer in Hispanic women

> **NIH NIH SC2** · JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE · 2020 · $120,865

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Hispanic women have a lower incidence of breast cancer than non-Hispanic white and African American
women; however, they are more likely to die from the disease. They are diagnosed at younger ages and
have higher rates of high grade and estrogen receptor-negative tumors, which all lead to poorer prognosis.
The extent to which genetic and environmental factors play a role in these disparities has not been fully
elucidated. The main goal of this proposal is to identify DNA methylation marks in Hispanic women that
are associated with breast cancer taking into consideration the racial subgroups of the Hispanic popula-
tion. This study will address the following specific aims: 1) determine the association between DNA
methylation biomarkers and breast cancer prognostic markers in high-risk Hispanic women, and 2) identi-
fy DNA methylation biomarkers of breast cancer in Hispanic women considering ancestry. It will also use ances-
try informative markers (AIMs) already identified in the literature to characterize the differential contri-
bution of racial backgrounds to DNA methylation biomarkers in this disease. The project will address
whether DNA methylation panels (epitypes) used in the classification of breast cancer tumors which have
prognostic and treatment potential, can be used in a racially and ethnically diverse cohort of high-risk
women. The first aim will focus on whether known current epitypes can identify samples at higher risk of
mortality and whether clustering is modified by genetic ancestry. The second aim's goal is to identify
breast tumor DNA methylation marks specific to Hispanic women. Both analysis will be carried in breast
cancer cases from the New York site of the Breast Cancer Family Registry (BCFR). Using the BCFR is
ideal because it has already collected biospecimens and detailed epidemiological data This study will be
the first focusing on DNA methylation biomarkers in a population of Hispanic breast cancer cases. The
inclusion of ancestry informative markers to determine the admixture substructure of the study population
in association with DNA methylation is also novel. This research is expected to aid in the identification of
individuals with higher risk of mortality, and ultimately lead to targeted treatments to reduce breast cancer
mortality in this population.
.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10015298
- **Project number:** 5SC2GM130476-03
- **Recipient organization:** JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
- **Principal Investigator:** Lissette Delgado-Cruzata
- **Activity code:** SC2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $120,865
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-15 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10015298

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10015298, DNA methylation biomarkers and ancestry in breast cancer in Hispanic women (5SC2GM130476-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10015298. Licensed CC0.

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