In this study we aimed at correlating loss of Fhit protein expression with a large number of molecular genetic and clinical parameters in a well-characterized cohort of non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs).
Our study suggests that tumor-specific methylation of the p16, RASSF1A, H-cadherin, and RARbeta genes may be a valuable biomarker for the early detection of NSCLC in bronchial lavage, and that the age-related methylation of FHIT gene in the normal bronchial epithelium is related to the exposure to tobacco smoke.