PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF P53 GENE-MUTATIONS IN A LARGE SERIES OF NODE-NEGATIVE BREAST-CANCER PATIENTS

The most important subgroup of breast cancer patients for which reliab le prognostic factors are needed are women without axillary Lymph node involvement, Although overall, these patients have a good prognosis, it is known that 20-30% will experience a recurrence of the disease, T o determine the prognostic significance of P53 tumor suppressor gene m utation, specimens from 113 primary breast cancers were evaluated for the presence of P53 alterations, as detected by cDNA sequencing of the entire coding sequence of the gene, The median follow-up for patients was 105 months, P53 gene mutation was an independent prognostic marke r of early relapse and death, Our results suggest that P53 gene mutati ons could be an important factor to identify node-negative patients wh o have a poor prognosis in the absence of adjuvant therapy, Prospectiv e studies should be designed to determine which therapy should be perf ormed in this subgroup of patients.