sentence: Patients with germline mutations of VHL are at risk of developing ccRCC with up to 600 tumors and 1100 cysts per kidney [ 5 ] ; somatic mutations leading to biallellic inactivation of VHL occur in 50 % – 60 % of sporadic ccRCCs [ 6 ] ; VHL promoter methylation was observed in 15 % of ccRCCs [ 7 ] .