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Updated: May 25, 2026

Monochrome Multiplex Quantitative PCR Telomere Length Measurement
Published on: March 22, 2024
Surrogate tissue telomere length and cancer risk: shorter or longer?
Lifang Hou1, Xiao Zhang2, Andrew J Gawron3
1Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 680 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611, United States; The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E. Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611, United States.
Abstract:
Telomeres play a critical role in chromosome stability. Telomere length (TL) shortening is a risk factor for cancers. Measuring TL in surrogate tissues that can be easily collected may provide a potential tool for early detection of cancers. A number of studies on surrogate tissue TL and cancer risks have been conducted and results are inconsistent, including positive, negative, or null associations. In this article, we reviewed the published data on surrogate tissue TL in relation to cancer risks, discussed the possible reasons for the differences in the results and future directions and challenges for this line of research.
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