[Detection of DNA hypermethylation as a potential biomarker for prostate cancer]

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases in men above the age of 50. A genetic predisposition and/or acquired genetic and epigenetic changes together with lifestyle contribute to the development of the disease. The most studied epigenetic modification in prostate cancer is the methylation of the cytosine located within the dinucleotide CpG of promoter regions of different genes by methylation specific PCR. The evidence of gene silencing by DNA methylation in genes like GSTP1, APC or RASF1 is a common and relatively specific event in prostate cancer. DNA methylation testing can be performed on tissue samples or urine, ejaculate or serum. Translational research is searching for new biomarkers for early detection and prognosis of prostate cancer, but because of large methodological differences in applied techniques and patient cohorts, the investigations have yielded promising, but also some controversial results. More prospective randomized trials and standardized methods are needed to assess the true value of methylation for the diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer.