Telomerase activity in small cell esophageal carcinoma

Small cell carcinoma of the esophagus is a rare and aggressive malignant tu mor. Telomerase activation is common in human cancers. There is a lack of d ata on telomerase activity in esophageal small cell cancers. The present re port studied the role of telomerase activity in esophageal small cell carci noma. The clinicopathologic data of five patients with small cell carcinoma of the esophagus who underwent primary surgical treatment between 1991 and 2000 were studied. Telomeric repeat amplification protocol assays were use d to investigate telomerase activity in these tumors. The proliferative act ivity (MIB-1) and p53 expression of these tumors were also studied using im munohistochemistry and correlated with the telomerase activity. All five sm all cell carcinomas showed detectable telomerase activity in the primary tu mor. Two out of the five morphologically normal esophageal mucosae adjacent to the primary tumor had detectable telomerase activity. There was no corr elation between the p53 expression, tumor stage, survival of patients, and the presence of telomerase activity. High MIB-1 expression in esophageal sm all cell carcinomas was associated with high telomerase activity. Telomeras e activation is common in small cell carcinoma of the esophagus. This fact may find application in anti-telomerase treatment for this aggressive tumor .