| abstract |
The present invention relates to the field of cancer. More specifically, the present invention provides compositions and methods useful for detecting and treating esophageal cancer. In a specific embodiment, a method for identifying a subject having esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) comprises (a) extracting genomic DNA from a sample obtained from the subject; (b) performing a conversion reaction on the genomic DNA in vitro to convert unmethylated cytosine to uracil by deamination; and (c) detecting nucleic acid methylation of one or more genes in the converted genomic DNA, wherein detecting nucleic acid methylation identifies the subject as having EAC. The one or more genes can comprise ABCB1, BMP3, COL23A1, FBN1, FADS1 and PRDM2. In a more specific embodiment, the one or more genes comprise at least three of ABCB1, BMP3, COL23A1, FBN1, FADS1 and PRDM2. |