Gene methylation as a powerful biomarker for detection and screening of non-small cell lung cancer in blood

DNA methylation has been reported to become a potential powerful tool for cancer detection and diagnosis. However, the possibilities for the application of blood-based gene methylation as a biomarker for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) detection and screening remain unclear. Hence, we performed this meta-analysis to evaluate the value of gene methylation detected in blood samples as a noninvasive biomarker in NSCLC. A total of 28 genes were analyzed from 37 case-control studies. In the genes with more than three studies, we found that the methylation of P16, RASSF1A, APC, RAR beta, DAPK, CDH13, and MGMT was significantly associated with risks of NSCLC. The methylation statuses of P16, RASSF1A, APC, RAR alpha, DAPK, CDH13, and MGMT were not linked to age, gender, smoking behavior, and tumor stage and histology in NSCLC. Therefore, the use of the methylation status of P16, RASSF1A, APC, RAR alpha, DAPK, CDH13, and MGMT could become a promising and powerful biomarker for the detection and screening of NSCLC in blood in clinical settings. Further large-scale studies with large sample sizes are necessary to confirm our findings in the future.