Progressive telomere shortening characterizes familial breast cancer patients

Telomeres of peripheral blood cells are significantly shorter in patients with familial breast cancer than in the general population. Results of the study carried out by a Human Genetics Group, to be published in open-access journal PLoS Genetics on July 28, reflect that familial, but not sporadic, breast cancer cases are characterized by shorter telomeres. Importantly, they also provide evidence for telomere shortening as a mechanism of the successively earlier onset of cancer down generations.

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