Citations 1
Validation of Methylated DNA Markers for Esophageal Squamous Cancer: An International Study
Matchett, Caroline L. , Wf, Taylor, Chalmers, Collin E., Foote, Patrick H. , Berger, Calise K. , Mulima, Gift , Tomoka, Tamiwe , Khan, Shiraz, Mahoney, Douglas W. , Albert, Paul S. , Abnet, Christian C., Dawsey, Sanford M., Chen, Yingxi, Iyer, Prasad G. , Slettedahl, Seth W , Taylor, William R , Chalmers, Collin E , Foote, Patrick H , Berger, Calise K , Mulima, Gift , Tomoka, Tamiwe , Khan, Shiraz , Mahoney, Douglas W , Albert, Paul S , Abnet, Christian C , Dawsey, Sanford M. , Chen, Yingxi , Kisiel, John B , Iyer, P G , Slettedahl, Seth W. , Abnet, Christian C. , Kisiel, John B.
Cancer Prevention Research | January 13, 2026 | Volume: 19 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 197-201
10.1158/1940-6207.capr-25-0383
Abstract Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and there are limited molecular screening options. Following a prior discovery and validation studies in subjects from the United States, China, and Iran, we aimed to validate methylated DNA markers (MDM) for ESCC detection in Malawi, a country with one of the highest ESCC incidence. Fourteen MDMs were tested on 177 tissue samples. Ten MDMs showed excellent performance (AUCs ≥ 0.85); a random forest model achieved an AUC of 0.97. The consistent cross-population performance suggests potential for universal application of these MDMs and further justifies exploring nonendoscopic sampling methods, such as swallowed cell collection devices in combination with MDMs, for efficient and cost-effective screening in high-incidence populations. Prevention Relevance: This study validates MDMs for early detection of ESCC in Malawi, supporting their potential role in noninvasive, population-based screening strategies in Africa to enable early detection and timely intervention for cancer interception, potentially reducing cancer burden in high-incidence, resource-limited regions.