TELOMERASE IS A NEW UNIVERSAL MARKER FOR PANCREATIC MALIGNANCIES
The authors studied the activity of telomerase and its gene expression in the tumor tissue of various pancreatic masses. The trial enrolled 16 patients, including 11 with pancreatic cancer, 1 with pancreatic pseudotumors, 1 with calculous pancreatitis, 1 with carcinoid duodenal tumors, 1 with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreatic head, and 1 with serous cystadenoma of the pancreas. There was evidence that there was a significant correlation between the presence of a malignant process and that of telomerase in tumor tissues.