Methylation patterns and chemosensitivity in NSCLC

Survival in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy is rather variable. Methylation-dependent transcriptional silencing of 14-3-3sigma, a major G2/M checkpoint control gene, could be a predictor of longer survival. A sensitive methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction assay was used to evaluate 14-3-3sigma methylation status in pretreatment serum DNA obtained from 115 cisplatin-plus-gemcitabine-treated advanced NSCLC patients. 14-3-3sigma methylation was observed in all histologic types in 39 patients (34%). After a median follow-up of 9.8 months, median survival was significantly longer in the methylation-positive group (15.1 vs 9.8 months; P = 0.004). Median time to progression was 8 months in the methylation-positive group, and 6.3 months in the methylation-negative group (P = 0.027 by the log-rank test). A multivariate Cox regression model identified only 14-3-3sigma methylation status and ECOG performance status (PS) as independent prognostic factors for survival. In an exploratory analysis, median survival for 22 methylation-positive responders has not been reached, while it was 11.3 months for 29 methylation-negative responders (P = 0.001). Methylation of 14-3-3sigma is a new independent prognostic factor for survival in NSCLC patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy. It can be reliably and conveniently detected in the serum, thus obviating the need for tumor tissue analysis.