title: Epigenetic field cancerization in gastrointestinal cancers.
abstract: Epigenetic alterations, including aberrant DNA methylation, play an important role in human cancer development. Importantly, epigenetic alterations are reversible and can be targets for therapy or chemoprevention for various types of human cancers. A field for cancerization, or a field defect, is formed by the accumulation of genetic and/or epigenetic alterations in normal-appearing tissues and can correlate with risk of cancer development. Thus, a better understanding of epigenetic field cancerization may represent a useful translational opportunity for cancer risk assessment, including previous history and exposure to carcinogenic factors, and for cancer prevention. In this article, we summarize current knowledge regarding epigenetic field cancerization and its clinical implications in gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal cancer, gastric cancer and esophageal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kumamoto University, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kumamoto University, Japan.
authors.forename: Takatsugu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kumamoto University, Japan.
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kurashige
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kumamoto University, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwatsuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kumamoto University, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kumamoto University, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kumamoto University, Japan. Electronic address: hdobaba@kumamoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baba
mesh_terms: D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans
keywords: Cancerization; Epigenetic field defect; Gastrointestinal cancer; Long interspersed nucleotide element-1; Methylation