TERT promoter (TERTp) mutations are associated not only with increased transcription of the catalytic subunit but also with up‐regulated telomerase activity in tumor tissues 13. We evaluated the relationship between TERTp mutation and telomere length in the 371 HCC patients. TERTp mutation correlated positively and significantly with telomere shortening (p = 0.032; Figure 5F). In addition, patients with TERTp mutations showed a shorter OS compared with patients without TERTp mutations (p = 0.007, log‐rank test; Figure 5G). Altogether, the prognostic value of shortened telomeres was validated in the independent cohort of 371 HCC patients.