Telomeres play a key role in maintaining chromosome integrity and stability, and telomere shortening is involved in the initiation and progression of malignancies. A number of epidemiological studies have examined the association between shortened telomeres and cancer risk.
This meta-analysis provided statistical evidence of an association between shorter telomere length and the risk of human cancer, particularly bladder cancer, lung cancer, smoking-related cancers, and cancers of the digestive tract and genitourinary system. However, due to limitations of the original studies included in the meta-analyses, larger, well-designed prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings, which may help decipher the underlying mechanisms of telomere shortening in cancer development and progression.
Hongxia Ma, Ziyuan Zhou, Sheng Wei, Zhensheng Liu, Karen A. Pooley, Alison M. Dunning, Ulrika Svenson, Göran Roos, H. Dean Hosgood III, Min Shen, Qingyi Wei
10 June 2011
Read the study here .
