The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of BRCA1/2 promoter methylation analysis using a new BRCA methylation MS-MLPA assay in distinguishing sporadic breast carcinomas from BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutation-related carcinomas in order to arrive at a clinically applicable prescreening test for BRCA1/2-related cancers. The gene discussed is BRCA1; the disease is breast carcinoma.