P53 MUTATION IN A SERIES OF EPITHELIAL OVARIAN CANCERS FROM THE UK, AND ITS PROGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE

In an initial study of 20 fresh ovarian tumour samples, we compared th e immunohistochemical positivity of staining of the p53 protein with t he presence of missense mutations of the P53 gene. This revealed a pre valence of 50% with a perfect correlation between mutation and immunoh istochemical staining. Detection of the p53 protein by immunohistochem istry was, therefore, used as a reliable indicator for the presence of P53 mutation, and was applied to a study of an archival series of 93 ovarian tumours, Positive immunostaining of the p53 protein was observ ed in 47% of this series. Cox regression was used to assess whether va rious clinical variables and P53 mutation were related to survival. As a result, it was found that positive staining of the p53 protein was independent of age, tumour differentiation, tumour type, though possib ly not stage. There was some evidence that p53 positivity was associat ed with reduced survival after adjusting for other variables, but the result was not statistically significant.