Interestingly, altered patterns of promoter methylation observed in a number of genes (e.g. ZMIZ1, EYA4, SLC22A18AS, WIPF1, FAM49A, RUNX3 and ESRRG) in both gastric and oesophageal CAMs were also reported previously in CAMs derived from lung tumours (30), indicating that common mechanisms of epigenetic reprogramming may contribute to the aberrant expression of these genes in CAMs derived from different tumours. This evidence concerns the gene RUNX3 and neoplasm.