SERUM LEVELS OF MUTANT P53 PROTEIN IN CANCER

In this study the levels of the mutant p53 protein in sera of patients with breast, lung and gastrointestinal tract cancer were determined i n order to investigate the diagnostic usefulness of this parameter. Th e efficiency of the test was compared to the other tumor markers speci fic for each group. Serum p53 levels were determined in parallel with CEA and CA 19.9 for malignant gastrointestinal disorders. In patients with breast cancer, CEA and CA 15-3 serum levels were determined. Cyfr a 21.1 serum levels were measured in patients with lung cancer. The po sitivity rates of elevated serum p53 values in the patients with gastr ointestinal system and lung cancers were 43% and 37%, respectively. Th e frequency of the elevated values in the breast cancer group was 12%. Our observations and the data suggest that p53 might be one of the mo st promising molecular markers with regard to the understanding of the mechanism for tumorigenic changes and the biologic and clinical behav iour of the tumor.