The present study evaluates the prognostic value of mutant p53 protein
overexpression in 109 surgically treated cervical cancer stages IB to
IIB. Squamous cell carcinoma stages IB, IIA, and IIB were present in
52, 13, and 44 cases, respectively. We performed immunohistochemistry
using a monoclonal antibody against the p53 suppressor gene product (c
lone BP53-12). Data were analyzed for the end points of disease-free s
urvival and overall survival. In 109 tissue specimens we detected 22 c
ases of p53 expression. Six of 22 patients with p53 expression and 21
of 87 patients without p53 expression showed tumor recurrences. p53 ex
pression showed no significant correlation to age, tumor stage or lymp
h node involvement. In the univariate analysis p53 expression showed n
o prognostic value for disease-free (P = 0.5) and overall survival (P
= 0.6). Multivariate analysis showed a significant prognostic value fo
r established prognostic parameters while p53 expression had no progno
stic value for recurrence-free (P = 0.6) and overall survival (P = 0.5
). In contrast to other malignancies mutant p53 overexpression showed
no relation to prognosis in surgically treated cervical cancer stage I
B to IIB. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.