Cancer Epigenetics

Epigenetic alterations are heritable changes that play a key role in human development and tissue-specific gene expression patterns. These changes can lead to alterations involved in tumor formation, imprinting, and metabolic disorders. Recent advances can help us understand the importance of epigenetic changes in both cancer development and tumor progression. In addition, epigenetic alterations may also be useful diagnostic and prognostic markers for the analysis of tumor progression.

Split into two parts, the book opens with a comprehensive overview of the identification and analysis of epigenetic changes in cancer and the consequences of such changes during tumor development. The second part focusses on cancer specific epigenetic alterations and discusses the potential use of epigenetic markers as biomarkers in diagnosis, early cancer progression, and prognosis. Moreover, it reviews the therapeutic potential of epigenetic drugs.  

Given its scope, Cancer Epigenetics is an indispensable resource not only for researchers working in the field of human epigenetics and cancer research but also for advanced students seeking for an introduction into epigenetic mechanisms. 

Rasime Kalkan is  a Professor of Medical Genetics.  She completed her PhD in the Department of Medical Genetics at the Eskisehir Osmangazi University in Turkey and worked as a member of the Department of Medical Genetics at the Near East University between November 2011 and June 2022. In 2020 she was appointed Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Arts and Sciences Faculty at Near East University. She was the founding Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University in Cyprus between July 2022 and August 2023. She was Vice-Rector at the Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University (CHSSU) in Cyprus between July 2022 and August 2023.

Professor Kalkan is a member of Turkish Medical Genetics Association (since 2006) and a member of the board of directors of the Turkish Cypriot Association of Human Genetics (since 2022).

During her PhD, her research focused on genetic and epigeneticalterations in brain tumors, especially in glioblastoma. She has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and authored several chapters for various national and international books. Furthermore, she was involved in many research projects as project coordinator and assistant investigator. Her current research is focused on the identification of epigenetic and genetic alterations in cancer, obesity and post-menopausal term.