Epigenetic alterations in the progression of cancer

The cells acquire different patterns of gene expression during differentiation to adapt to a changing environment. Epigenetic and genetic alterations are considered to be 2 independent mechanisms involved in the onset and progression of cancer. Epigenetic mechanisms may be important for biological events such as the genetic mechanisms that do not involve a change in DNA sequence, but if they have an important role in modifying gene expression. During the last decade, research in epigenetic alterations in cancer progression has been improved thanks to the emergence of new technologies, to find applications in the diagnosis and therapy of this disease. In this review is discussed the current evidence on the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the progression of various cancers highlighting the advantages of the investigation of epigenetics in future new treatments.