‘At Our Fingertips’: Mapping Dermatoglyphic Traits as Non-invasive Markers for Breast Cancer Risk in India – A Systematic Review with Narrative Synthesis

Abstract Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Indian women, often detected at advanced stages. Dermatoglyphics, the ridge patterns of fingers and palms formed early in foetal life, may reflect developmental instability and could serve as low-cost, non-invasive markers of risk of breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Authors systematically searched PubMed and Embase databases, along with Google Scholar, for forward citation tracking to August 2025 for Indian case–control studies comparing dermatoglyphic traits in histopathologically confirmed breast cancer patients and healthy controls. Eligible traits included fingerprint patterns, ridge counts (total finger ridge count [TFRC] and absolute finger ridge count), pattern intensity index, palmar angles and fluctuating asymmetry. Risk of bias was appraised with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JB checklists, findings were narratively synthesised. Results: Ten studies with 964 cases and 964 controls were included. Significant associations included higher ulnar loops and fewer whorls in cases (Singh et al ., 67.9% vs. 15.3% and 24.7% vs. 50.8%, P < 0.001), ≥6 whorls in cases (Chintamani et al ., 40.5% vs. 3.1%, P < 0.05), and lower TFRC (Raizada et al ., 23% vs. 1%, P < 0.001). Palmar angle findings were inconsistent across centres. Conclusions: Dermatoglyphic traits show reproducible associations with breast cancer in Indian women but require standardisation, larger prospective studies and digital methods before clinical application.