Telomere Length and Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Expression As Markers for Progression and Prognosis of Colorectal Carcinoma

Abstract

Telomeres in colorectal carcinoma tissue were significantly shorter compared with adjacent normal mucosa as an indication for extensive cell proliferation. The correlation with tumor stage and patient survival suggest that hTERT-mediated telomere stabilization may be critical for progression and prognosis of colorectal carcinoma.