Epigenetics and Cancer Medicine

Epigenetic Biomarkers in Cancer

A cancer biomarker is a biological marker which indicates the presence of cancer in the body. Genetic, epigenetic, proteomic, glycomic, and imaging biomarkers are used for diagnosis, prognosis, and epidemiology of cancer.

Because they are expressed against a person's genetic background and environmental exposure, and epigenetic events occur early in cancer development, Epigenetic biomarkers are more advantageous over other types of biomarkers.

Epigenetic biomarkers potentially have numerous clinical applications in cancer intervention and treatment and significant implications for public health.

Types of epigenetic biomarkers:

• DNA methylation, circulating or noncirculating
• MicroRNA and other noncoding RNA
• Protein markers

For e.g., DNA methylation is one of the major epigenetic mechanisms and it is a genetic feature better reflecting disease development and, consequently, has the potential to become a more conclusive biomarker for detection and diagnosis of different diseases.