hTERT rs2735940 polymorphism influences lung cancer risk and overall survival in lung cancer patients undergoing platinum-based doublet chemotherapy

The hTERT gene is an essential part of the telomerase enzyme, preserving telomere length and encouraging cellular immortality. The study aimed to investigate whether the TERT gene SNP was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in the North Indian population. 387 lung cancer patients undergoing platinum-based chemotherapy and 384 healthy controls were genotyped for the TERT variant rs2735940 (T&gt;C) using PCR-RFLP. The study aimed to determine the significant association between the TERT genetic variant and lung cancer risk. Patients carrying homozygous mutant genotype (CC) for rs2735940 showed a significant association (0 R = 2.4, <i>p</i> = 0.03). Furthermore, in dominant model, the combination genotype (TC+CC) showed an increased risk of lung cancer susceptibility with an AOR of 1.67 (<i>p</i> = 0.0016). For TERT rs2735940, individuals with SCLC carrying the mutant genotype (CC) were significantly more likely to develop lung cancer (<i>p</i> = 0.0004). Our results also showed that lung cancer patients carrying the TERT rs2735940 genetic variant who received a combination of docetaxel and cisplatin/carboplatin had better prognosis as compared to alternative chemotherapy regimens. Our study associates’ chemotherapy toxicities in North Indian lung cancer patients and the TERT polymorphism rs2735940, delivering insights for improving biomarker development and individualized treatment.