All three combination groups with DNMT1 and DNMT3b, DNMT1 and MBD2 or DNMT3b and MBD2 revealed significant combined effects in male patients (P for trend=0.023, <0.001 and =0.010, respectively) and SQLC patients (P for trend=0.022, 0.003 and 0.019, respectively), but not in female patients (P for trend=0.357, 0.243 and 0.341, respectively) and adenocarcinoma patients (P for trend=0.245, 0.487 and 0.431, respectively). Here, MBD2 is linked to adenocarcinoma.