Hyperméthylation et cancer de la prostate

The diagnosis of localized prostate cancer is in constant modification. Recent studies on early diagnosis and prognosis analysis have demonstrated the limits of using PSA. The challenge for the upcoming years will be to adapt therapeutic strategies for each patient according to more reliable tests. These objectives apply for DNA methylation analysis. Hypermethylation of the promoter of gene implicated in the carcinogenesis of prostate cancer has been shown as an interesting filed for new tests. So far, DNA methylation tests were assessed on small cohorts of localized prostate cancer patients with promising results when applied on primary tumours and in urine, particularly for patients at high risk of progression after radical prostatectomy. Since the last phase of development for DNA methylation tests will be the industrialization and evaluation on large scale, it is important to have a synthesis on current knowledge of DNA methylation tests in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.