P58.03 Investigation on the Role of Methylation in Field Cancerization of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a complex malignancy that develops through progressive pathologic changes driven by an interplay of a variety of molecular pathways including both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Aberrant DNA methylation has been implicated in early cancer development; however, studies on its role in field cancerization are limited. Field cancerization, also referred to as pre-malignant field defect, is the process in which a population of normal or pre-malignant cells is affected by oncogenic alterations leading to progressive molecular changes that drive their malignancy.