Figure 3
Kaplan–Meier survival curves of patients with CIMP-positive and negative ccRCCs in the validation cohort. Cancer-free (Panel A, P = 1.41 × 10−5) and overall (Panel B, P = 2.43 × 10−13) survival rates of patients with ccRCCs showing DNA methylation levels higher than the cutoff values listed in Table 1 at 16 or more CpG units (diagnosed as CIMP-positive ccRCCs) were significantly lower than those of patients with ccRCCs showing DNA methylation levels higher than the cutoff values listed in Table 1 at less than 16 CpG units (diagnosed as CIMP-negative ccRCCs). Patients who underwent curative resection were included in panel A. The prognostic significance of the criteria for CIMP-diagnosis established in the present study was clearly confirmed in the validation cohort.