Silence Is Golden: Gene Hypermethylation and Survival in Large-Cell Lymphoma

Much effort has been directed at identifying molecular markers in human tumors that predict response and/or survival after treatment with chemotherapeutic agents. Molecular predictors help to identify patients most likely to benefit from a particular therapy, with the ultimate goal of selecting optimal treatment for each patient. Gene microarray analysis has already identified genes that may be useful for predicting the clinical behavior of certain tumors (1,2). In malignant lymphoma, microarray analysis has clearly identified subgroups of tumors within the category of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (B-DLCL) that are histologically indistinguishable but differ considerably in outcome after treatment with standard therapies (3). The specific genes responsible for the different outcomes have not yet been identified. In this issue of the Journal, Esteller et al. (4) describe a new predictive marker of survival in patients with B-cell lym