Extracellular glycoproteins of the laminin family are essential components of basement membranes involved in a number of biological processes, including tissue differentiation, wound healing, and tumorigenesis. We present the first comprehensive study of promoter methylation status of the genes encoding laminin chains in normal tissues (peripheral blood leucocytes, buccal epithelial cells, autopsy breast tissue samples) and in breast carcinoma samples. Based on the results of this study, we divide laminin genes into three categories. Genes, constitutively methylated in breast tissues include LAMA3A, LAMB2, LAMB3, and LAMC2. Genes prone to abnormal methylation in breast carcinoma include LAMA1, LAMA2, LAMA3B, LAMA4, LAMB1, and LAMC3. Genes that are rarely if ever methylated in breast carcinoma include LAMA5 and LAMC1. The constitutively methylated group includes all of the genes that encode subunits of laminin-5 (the historical name of laminin 332), the promoters of which were previously considered unmethylated in normal tissues and prone to abnormal methylation in breast cancer.