question: Is Alu hypomethylation associated with breast cancer?
answer: Yes, Alu elements were found to be hypomethylated in breast cancer, especially in the HER2-enriched subtype. Furthermore, Alu hypomethylation was identified as a late event during breast cancer progression, and in invasive breast cancer, tended to be associated with negative estrogen receptor status and poor disease-free survival of the patients.