DNA methylation biomarkers for early detection of ovarian cancer.

Abstract

Ovarian cancer (OC) remains difficult to detect at an early stage, and current screening approaches using CA125 and transvaginal ultrasonography have not demonstrated sufficient benefit for population screening. DNA methylation is a promising biomarker class because epigenetic alterations may arise early in tumourigenesis, can be detected in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA), and may provide tissue-of-origin information. This review critically evaluates recent evidence on DNA methylation biomarkers for early OC detection. PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched for studies published between January 2020 and September 2025, supplemented by selected earlier studies of biological or methodological relevance. Evidence was synthesised across single-gene biomarkers, multi-locus panels, genome-wide signatures, assay platforms, and machine-learning classifiers, with emphasis on early-stage performance, histological representation, comparator populations, analytical methodology, and validation design. Single-gene markers such as BRCA1, RASSF1A, OPCML, HOXA9, and HIC1 show variable performance, while multi-gene and classifier-based approaches generally provide stronger discrimination. However, many studies remain limited by retrospective case-control designs, small FIGO stage I-II subsets, predominance of serous disease, and insufficient prospective validation. Integration with CA125 may improve sensitivity but can reduce specificity, which is critical in low-prevalence screening. Clinical translation will therefore require minimal and reproducible methylation signatures, standardised low-input cfDNA workflows, rigorous external validation, and prospective longitudinal evaluation in intended-use populations.