title: TERT promoter mutations are frequent in cutaneous basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: Activating mutations in the TERT promoter were recently identified in up to 71% of cutaneous melanoma. Subsequent studies found TERT promoter mutations in a wide array of other major human cancers. TERT promoter mutations lead to increased expression of telomerase, which maintains telomere length and genomic stability, thereby allowing cancer cells to continuously divide, avoiding senescence or apoptosis. TERT promoter mutations in cutaneous melanoma often show UV-signatures. Non-melanoma skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, are very frequent malignancies in individuals of European descent. We investigated the presence of TERT promoter mutations in 32 basal cell carcinomas and 34 cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas using conventional Sanger sequencing. TERT promoter mutations were identified in 18 (56%) basal cell carcinomas and in 17 (50%) cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. The recurrent mutations identified in our cohort were identical to those previously described in cutaneous melanoma, and showed a UV-signature (C>T or CC>TT) in line with a causative role for UV exposure in these common cutaneous malignancies. Our study shows that TERT promoter mutations with UV-signatures are frequent in non-melanoma skin cancer, being present in around 50% of basal and squamous cell carcinomas and suggests that increased expression of telomerase plays an important role in the pathogenesis of these tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Griewank
authors.forename: Rajmohan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murali
authors.forename: Bastian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schilling
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schimming
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moll
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwamborn
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sucker
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zimmer
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schadendorf
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hillen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics*; D000096142:Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma
chemical_list: C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase