TELOMERASE ACTIVITY - A MARKER TO DISTINGUISH FOLLICULAR THYROID ADENOMA FROM CARCINOMA

The inability to distinguish microinvasive follicular thyroid cancer f rom benign follicular tumors preoperatively presents an important surg ical dilemma. We examined 44 follicular tumors and found telomerase ac tivity in all 11 follicular carcinomas and in 8 of 33 benign follicula r tumors, It was undetectable in 22 normal thyroid tissues adjacent to the tumors, Telomerase activity may thus provide a diagnostic marker distinguishing benign from malignant follicular thyroid tumors. The ab ility to identify invasive follicular thyroid tumors could avert over 14,000 thyroidectomies annually in the United States, thereby signific antly decreasing morbidity and health care costs.