Cancer Epigenetics

Epigenetic alterations are heritable changes that play a key role in human development and tissue-specific gene expression patterns. These changes can lead to alterations involved in tumor formation, imprinting, and metabolic disorders. Recent advances can help us understand the importance of epigenetic changes in both cancer development and tumor progression. In addition, epigenetic alterations may also be useful diagnostic and prognostic markers for the analysis of tumor progression. Split into two parts, the book opens with a comprehensive overview of the identification and analysis of epigenetic changes in cancer and the consequences of such changes during tumor development. The second part focusses on cancer specific epigenetic alterations and discusses the potential use of epigenetic markers as biomarkers in diagnosis, early cancer progression, and prognosis. Moreover, it reviews the therapeutic potential of epigenetic drugs.   Given its scope, Cancer Epigenetics is an indispensable resource not only for researchers working in the field of human epigenetics and cancer research but also for advanced students seeking for an introduction into epigenetic mechanisms.