A study on telomerase activity and prognosis in breast cancer.

There are still many questions to be elucidated concerning the relationship between telomerase activity and various factors associated with cancer. Whether or not the level of telomerase activity could be a prognostic factor in breast cancer was investigated through 5-yr follow-up observation. Telomerase activity was quantified by the fluorescence-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay in 54 patients with breast cancer and its relationship with patient prognosis was examined. Telomerase activity was detected in 92.6% of breast cancer patients, with a median of 65.4 TPG (total product generated) (Min 0-Max 446.2). The follow-up observation for 5 yr demonstrated that among background factors examined, recurrence was the only factor that showed a significant association with the level of telomerase activity when a cutoff at 100 TPG was adopted. This suggested the possibility of 100 TPG telomerase activity being a prognostic factor for recurrence. Prospective studies will be necessary to clarify this matter.