Results so far in a small number of samples show a threefold increase in BRCA2 promoter methylation in phenocopy tumor tissue compared to tumor tissue from BRCA PV carriers suggesting that BRCA2 promoter methylation in the phenocopy tumor tissues (from familial BRCA2 backgrounds) is consistently higher in phenocopy tumor DNA than in non-malignant and tumor tissue from the control germline BRCA PV carriers. The gene discussed is BRCA2; the disease is neoplasm.