Table 11 Significance of transcription factors in LUAD

Common across Stages (Table 2 )

FOXG1

Cell adhesion, Growth and invasion of lung cancer [68] and is prognostic marker in bladder cancer [69]

HAND2

Identified in early stage in squamous cell carcinoma but not in adenocarcinoma [70]

HOXB4

Overexpression identified in ovarian cancer though HOX genes are reported in lung cancer [71]

PHOX2A

Abnormal methylation in NSCLC [72]

Unique TFs in Stage I (total 6)

HLA-G

Potential biomarker in lung cancer [73]

BCL11B

A new therapeutic for T-cell malignancies but direct correlation with lung cancer not available [74, 75]

UTF1

Not yet correlated in lung cancer but a prognostic in cervical cancer [76]

Unique TFs in Stage II (total 6)

EMX2

Is associated with WNT signaling pathway and its down-regulation is associated with methylation of promoter region in lung cancer suggesting it as novel suppressor gene for human lung cancer [77]

NKX6-2

Identified as methylated in lung cancer [40] and identified as target in Pancreatic cancer [78]

OLIG2

Identified in lung cancer but not study as target [79]

ZNF577

Identified as methylated in various cancers like breast and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, very recently in lung cancer [80]. Not much is reported with respect to its prognostic value.

Unique TFs in Stage III (total 13)

EPO

Is the key regulator in the production of RBC, methylation of the promoter section of EPO is identified in many cancers including lung, breast liver etc. [81] though its prognostic value efficiency is not reported.

GERM1

Hypermethylation of GREM1 is identified for prognostic significance in renal cell carcinoma [82], so far not in lung cancer.

IRX1

Methylation is identified in lung cancer [83] but needs to be studied for prognostic markers.