EXPRESSION OF P53 IN RECURRENT NODAL METASTASIS FROM NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA (NPC)

This study reports the incidence of p53 expression in 40 patients with recurrent nodal metastasis from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and it s prognostic value in this group of patients. Immunohistochemical stai ning using monoclonal antibody specific for human p53 protein was perf ormed on the tumour-bearing nodes from 40 patients. The results were d ivided into four grades (I, negative; II, < 10% of cells positive; III , 10-50% of cells positive; and IV, > 50% of cells positive). The stai ning scores sere correlated with histological tumour types, subsequent recurrence and survival. AII patients had undergone neck irradiation. Lymph node specimens from six patients (15%) showed positive staining of nuclear p53 protein. The distribution among the different grades w as: three (7.5%) for II, two (5%) for III and one (2.5%) for IV. Patie nts with p53-overexpressed tumours had a significantly higher number o f tumour-bearing lymph nodes, There was no correlation of p53 expressi on with histological tumour types, second tumour recurrence and surviv al. Expression of p53 appears to be uncommon in patients with recurren t nodal metastases in NPC. It did not have prognostic value in this pa rticular series of patients.