About the Authors

Katarina Cuk

katarina_cuk2@yahoo.de

Affiliations Molecular Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany, Molecular Biology of Breast Cancer, University Women’s Clinic, Heidelberg, Germany

Manuela Zucknick

Affiliation Division of Biostatistics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany

Dharanija Madhavan

Affiliations Molecular Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany, Molecular Biology of Breast Cancer, University Women’s Clinic, Heidelberg, Germany

Sarah Schott

Affiliation Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Women’s Clinic, Heidelberg, Germany

Michael Golatta

Affiliation Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Women’s Clinic, Heidelberg, Germany

Jörg Heil

Affiliation Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Women’s Clinic, Heidelberg, Germany

Frederik Marmé

Affiliations Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Women’s Clinic, Heidelberg, Germany, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany

Andrey Turchinovich

Affiliations Molecular Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany, Molecular Biology of Breast Cancer, University Women’s Clinic, Heidelberg, Germany

Peter Sinn

Affiliation Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

Christof Sohn

Affiliation Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Women’s Clinic, Heidelberg, Germany

Hans Junkermann

Affiliation Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Women’s Clinic, Heidelberg, Germany

Andreas Schneeweiss

Affiliations Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Women’s Clinic, Heidelberg, Germany, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany

Barbara Burwinkel

Affiliations Molecular Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany, Molecular Biology of Breast Cancer, University Women’s Clinic, Heidelberg, Germany, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany

Competing Interests

Due to US-Provisional patent applications US 61/662,816 and US 61/813,029 (“Circulating miRNAs as markers for breast cancer”) relating to this manuscript K. Cuk, M. Zucknick, D. Madhavan and B. Burwinkel declare a potential conflict of interest. These patent applications did not alter the authors’ adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. Other authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: KC MZ DM BB. Performed the experiments: KC. Analyzed the data: KC MZ DM. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: KC SS MG JH FM AT PS CS HJ AS. Wrote the paper: KC MZ BB. Revision and final approval of manuscript: KC MZ DM SS MG JH FM AT PS CS HJ AS BB.