Molecular Profiling of Non-small Cell Lung Carcinomas : A Genome-wide DNA Methylation Analysis

textabstractDNA methylation is a signaling marker used by the cell to control gene expression, to keep genes silenced or active. It is an important part of what is called epigenetic controlling mechanisms (epi- Greek: επί- over, above, outer). We are just beginning to understand the intricate processes involving this type of epigenetic regulation and its role in normal development and carcinogenesis. In most types of cancers, a combination of environmental, genetic and epigenetic factors is implicated in initiating and maintaining the disease. Non-small cell lung carcinoma is a complex malignancy, posing challenges to accurate diagnosis and prognosis, which are essential for the correct choice of treatment. Despite recent advances in molecular biology and oncology, diagnosis is still largely based on classical histological classification