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‹ Wed · 6 May 2026
Promising but preliminary

How DNA methylation predicts response to cancer therapies.

DNA methylation patterns in tumor samples predict how patients will respond to chemotherapy, targeted drugs, and immunotherapy by affecting genes controlling drug processing.

This Trends in Cancer review from Esteller's group synthesizes evidence that DNA methylation profiles predict response to chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy by modulating gene expression in drug metabolism and DNA repair pathways. Liquid biopsy methylation profiling is identified as the next frontier for dynamic, non-invasive therapy selection support.

What the study was

Study design
Narrative review
Population
Cancer patients across tumor types
Category
Genomics/Precision Medicine
Maturity
Exploratory
Journal
Trends in Cancer

Why it surfaced

Trends Cancer (Cell Press) review by Esteller; authoritative synthesis; DNA methylation-therapy response is an established research area; review limits score cap.

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