Figure 1.

Differentially methylated genes as biomarkers with diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive value in HNSCC. Cancer is a multifactorial disease that depends on the accumulation of both genetic mutations and epigenetic alteration. DNA methylation is one of the major epigenetic mechanisms that enable gene activation or inactivation during tumorigenesis. As such, the methylation profile of patients with HNSCC represents a potential source for new biomarker identification and more ideal patient stratification. Hypermethylation, hypomethylation and site-specific methylation of genes could be utilized as diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive tools. The genes included in the plus signs have dual roles, i.e., either both diagnostic and prognostic (left) or both prognostic and predictive (right).