Chapter 7

The Role of DNA Methylation as A Biomarker in Lung Cancer: Prognostic Prediction and Early Detection

Hiroaki Harada, Kazuaki Miyamoto, Masaki Kuwahara and Yoshinori Yamashita

Abstract

DNA methylation is the main mechanism of epigenetic gene silencing that regulates gene expression without altering the DNA sequence, and the promoter methylation of various genes has been demonstrated to be involved in the development and/or progression of lung cancer. The growing body of evidence shows that DNA methylation of several specific genes has been identified as molecular biomarkers that accurately predict the outcome of disease. Additionally, in an effort for early detection of lung cancer, the effect of analyzing DNA methylation in several remote media has also been investigated. Here, recent achievements regarding the role of DNA methylation as a biomarker for prognostic prediction and early detection in lung cancer are reviewed.

Total Pages: 66-72 (7)

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