To further corroborate and expand evidence of smoking-associated DNA methylation in prediction of LC risk, we assessed the individual and joint associations of blood DNA methylation at AHRR, 6p21.33, and F2RL3 with LC incidence in a case-control study nested in the Epidemiologische Studie zu Chancen der Verhütung, Früherkennung und optimierten Therapie chronischer Erkrankungen in der älteren Bevölkerung (ESTHER) cohort. Here, AHRR is linked to laryngotracheoesophageal cleft.