EXPRESSION OF P53 PROTEIN IN COLORECTAL CARCINOIDS

Objective: To determine the frequency and prognostic significance of p 53 protein expression in colorectal carcinoid tumors. Design: Thirty-o ne paraffin-embedded specimens of colorectal carcinoid tumor were stud ied by immunohistochemical staining to detect p53 protein expression. The association of p53 expression with tumor site, tumor size, invasio n level, tumor stage, DNA pattern, and patient survival were analyzed. Results: p53 protein was detected in five (16%) of 31 colorectal carc inoid tumors. There was a correlation between p53 overexpression and t umor site, tumor size, tumor stage, and DNA ploidy (P<.05) but not for the depth of tumor invasion (P=.06). In addition to tumor size, invas ion, stage, and DNA aneuploidy, p53 protein overexpression was also in dicative of a poor prognosis (P<.001). Conclusions: The overexpression of p53 protein is uncommon in colorectal carcinoid tumors. However, t he expression of p53 protein has a correlation with clinicopathologic- predicting criteria in colorectal carcinoid tumors and may be used as an associated prognostic parameter to assess patient survival.