#AI reads Urine# Detection of recurrent endometrial cancer via DNA methylation analysis of cervicovaginal self-samples and urine
Published 20 March, 2026
This study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, is the first to explore the value of DNA methylation analysis of self-collected cervicovaginal and urine samples for post-treatment recurrence surveillance in endometrial cancer. It enrolled 60 endometrial cancer patients (43 without recurrence and 17 with recurrence) along with healthy controls, conducting quantitative methylation-specific PCR on nine methylation markers and evaluating diagnostic performance using established logistic regression models. The results showed that in patients without recurrence, the methylation positivity rates of both sample types decreased significantly after treatment—from 90.7% to 19.5% for cervicovaginal samples and from 80.5% to 20.9% for urine samples—with methylation levels approaching those of healthy controls, and no significant impact of treatment modalities on these levels was observed. Among patients with recurrence, the methylation positivity rates were 62.5% for cervicovaginal samples and 58.8% for urine samples, with particularly outstanding detection rates for local recurrence (100% for cervicovaginal samples and 90% for urine samples). Methylation levels of several markers including CDH13 and CDO1 were significantly elevated in the samples of recurrent patients, and the test results of the two sample types showed moderate consistency. The study confirmed that home-based self-sampling combined with DNA methylation testing is a potential non-invasive method for post-treatment surveillance of endometrial cancer, enabling accurate detection of local recurrence and reducing the follow-up burden on patients and healthcare systems. However, the study also pointed out limitations such as a small sample size and marker models not optimized for recurrence detection, and suggested that larger-sample longitudinal studies are needed for further validation in the future.
Int J Cancer. 2026 Feb 6. doi: 10.1002/ijc.70358.
Youhe Gao
Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used Doubao / AI reading for summarizing the content. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article.
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