Table 1. Baseline characteristics of eligible studies evaluating RASSF1A hypermethylation and OS or DFS in breast cancer patients.

First Author	Year	Country	Methods	M/N (%)	N	Stage	Grade	Materials	OS	DFS
									HR (95%CI)	HR (95%CI)
Martins [15]	2011	Portugal	QMSP	86	178	0–IV	1–3	fine-needle aspirate washings	NA	2.53 (1.09–5.87)
Cho [17]	2011	USA	QMSP	85.2	670	I–IV	NA	formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissues	1.21 (0.76–1.93)	1.77 (0.86–3.67)
Gobel [20]	2011	Austria	QMSP	21.8	428	0–IV	1–3	peripheral blood-plasma	5.60 (2.10–14.50)	3.40 (1.60–7.30)
Kioulafa [18]	2009	Greece	MSP	57	93	I–II	1–3	formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissues	4.31 (0.92–7.58)	3.47 (1.24–9.32)
Buhmeida [21]	2011	Saudi Arabia	QMSP	65	100	I–IV	1–3	formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissues	NA	5.64 (1.23–25.81)
Karray-Chouayekh [22]	2010	Tunisia	MSP	87	78	I–IV	1–3	fresh-frozen specimens	NA	7.33 (1.37–37.72)
Sharma [23]	2009	India	MSP	63	100	I–III	NA	formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissues	4.05 (0.47–34.92)	1.80 (0.79–4.09)
Fiegl [24]	2005	Austria	QMSP	19.6	148	I–III	1–3	peripheral blood-plasma	6.90 (1.90–25.90)	5.10 (1.30–19.80)

FFPE, formalin fixed paraffin-embedded; PBP, peripheral blood-plasma; FF, fresh-frozen; FNAW, fine-needle aspirate washings; MSP, methylation specific PCR; QMSP, quantitative methylation specific PCR.