The incidence of testicular cancer in the Western world has tripled in recent decades, probably due to an interaction between environmental factors and vulnerability genes for testicular cancer. Epigenetic changes in the form of aberrant DNA methylation, caused by external factors, are thought to be involved in aetiology. Our hypothesis is that changes in DNA methylation at or near proven vulnerability genes for testicular cancer may be an important mechanism for modifying the risk. The aim of the study is to investigate the significance of DNA methylation in the development of testicular cancer. Changes in DNA methylation should be examined in serum samples from testicular cancer patients before diagnosis and compared with healthy controls. Our most interesting results (‘top hits’) will be replicated in a Dutch cohort of testicular cancer cases and controls. The results will increase our understanding of the epigenetic changes in the form of aberrant DNA methylation, which underlie the development of testicular cancer.
