Svetlana Grobarčíková1, Roman Tomaškin1, Petra Tilandyová2, Zora Lasabová3, Ján Kliment1
The authors review the impact of epigenetic factors (especially DNA methylation) on carcinogenesis with focus on prostate cancer. Epigenetic changes modulate gene expression with significant impact on initiation and progression of prostate cancer. This information can be used in the future in clinical practice and therefore it is important to inform clinical urologists about results of this research field. Hypermethylation of GSTP1 gene belongs to best described epigenetic changes, loss of its expression is characteristic in malignant prostatic cells. Detection of its methylation status reveals important information available in primary diagnostic process, as well as in prediction of prostate cancer behavior and prognosis.