Prospective cohort study of the association of leukocyte telomere length with risk of lung cancer

Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is associated with a wide variety of diseases. Findings regarding the association between LTL and the risk of lung cancer have been inconclusive and inconsistent in previous observational studies. A large (n=425.146) prospective study in the cohort of the UK Biobank found that an increase in LTL per interquartile range was associated with a 9% increase in the risk of lung cancer (HR 1.09; 95% CI 1.03-1.16). The association was greater among females and non-smokers. The authors conclude that these results suggest a potential of LTL as non-invasive biomarkers for the early screening of lung cancer.