Translation research on testicular germ cell tumors

Testicular germ cell tumors are the most common malignancy in men aged 14 to 44 years. Although exceptional cisplatin sensitivity results in cure rates of > 90%, resistance can occur for which there are currently no alternative treatment options. Translational research in recent years has led to various breakthroughs in detection and classification of these tumors. The identification of miRNA-371 expression as a marker of malignant testicular germ cell tumors (with the exception of teratomas) enables significantly more sensitive and specific detection of these cancers in various clinical contexts (primary tumor, residual disease, relapse etc.). Moreover, the identification of several genetic aberrations that are associated with treatment resistance and poor outcome, such as TP53 mutations or copy number gain on chromosome 3p, underlines the necessity of genetic screening for improved risk classification of testicular cancer patients.