Background: The death-associated protein kinase (DAPK ) gene is an important member of the apoptotic pathway and is inactivated by abnormal methylation in numerous cancers, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the diagnostic value of DAPK  methylation in brushing samples and tissue samples of NPC remains unclear. 
Methods: We conducted a systematic meta-analysis based on 17 studies (including 386 tissue cases, 233 brushing cases, and 296 blood cases). 
Results: Our results revealed an association between methylated DAPK and increased risk of NPC in blood, brushing, and tissue samples. In addition, the comparison of the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve of methylated DAPK  in brushing and tissue samples demonstrated the non-inferior effectiveness of methylated DAPK  in brushing samples to monitor the development of NPC.
Keywords: death-associated protein kinase, methylation, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, diagnosis