Circulating DNA-based lung cancer diagnostics and follow-up: looking for epigenetic markers

This review outlines the major trends in the investigation of circulating cell-free DNA-based methylated markers, including key technical aspects of the circulating cell-free DNA methylation analysis, recent advancements in methylation detection techniques, and most successful examples of their combined use. The approaches to discovery and validation of epigenetic markers are discussed, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of these methods. Special attention is devoted to cell-free DNA methylated markers, circulating in blood, which could be used for minimally invasive lung cancer (LC) diagnostics, prediction of antitumor treatment efficiency and disease prognosis.