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Published on: March 22, 2024
Leukocyte telomere length and renal cell carcinoma survival in two studies
Catherine L Callahan1, Kendra Schwartz2, Julie J Ruterbusch2
1Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Dr., Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
Background:
Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a potential biomarker of cancer prognosis; however, evidence for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is inconsistent.
Methods:
We investigated LTL and RCC-specific survival among 684 cases from the US kidney cancer study (USKC) and 241 cases from the prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer screening trial (PLCO). Leukocyte telomere length was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) computed using multivariable Cox models.
Results:
Short LTL was associated with poorer disease-specific survival in both USKC (lowest vs highest quartile: HR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2-4.4; P for trend=0.02) and PLCO (HR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.0-5.4; P=0.04). Among USKC cases, the association was strongest for stage-I RCC (HR: 5.5, 95% CI: 1.6-19.0; P=0.006).
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that shorter LTL is an independent marker of poor RCC prognosis, particularly for stage-I disease.
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