FGR methylation in blood as a potential marker for the pre-clinical detection of early lung cancer: A case-control study.

e20500 Background: Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death. Although low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is a routine clinical test for early detection of LC, it can introduce excessive false positives. DNA specific methylation identification in peripheral blood can be used for noninvasive diagnosis and monitoring. Therefore, We applied a candidate approach and assess the association between blood-based FGR methylation and the risk of lung cancer in a case–control cohort. Methods: A total of 426 patients with LC and 428 age-and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited from two hospitals to collect peripheral blood and clinical information. The methylation levels of four CPG sites in FGR gene were determined by quantitative mass spectrometry. Linear regression models were used to estimate the association between DNA methylation site levels and lung cancer. And stratified analysis of age and sex. Results: It was found that the hypermethylation of FGR_CPG1 and FGR_CPG2 was associated with early LC (OR = 1.60 (95%CI: 1.35, 1.89, p = 5.35E-08) and 1.08 (95%CI: 1.01, 1.16, p = 3.58E-02), respectively). These associations persist in patients with very early LC (stage I). Stratified analysis showed that the association between hypermethylation of FGR_CPG2 and LC was only found in men and subjects younger than 55 years of age. Conclusions: This work reveals a novel association between aberrant FGR gene methylation in blood and early LC. These results suggest that FGR gene methylation may be used to predict early lung cancer and provide guidance for the prevention and control of lung cancer.