DNA methylation and nonsmall cell lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in men and women worldwide. Owing to the scarcity of effective tools for early detection and therapy strategies, the 5-year survival rate of lung cancer is very poor. Because the accumulation of multiple genetic and/or epigenetic changes, including DNA methylation, has been suggested to contribute to development and progression of human cancers, improved understanding of the relationship between DNA methylation and lung cancer will provide new insights for identifying promising biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of lung cancer. Here, we present a relatively comprehensive review of DNA methylation and lung cancer, discuss DNA methylation changes in carcinogenesis and metastasis of lung cancer, and explore the association of microRNA with DNA methylation. Additionally, we outline the applications of DNA methylation in clinical practice, such as diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of lung cancer.