P53 TUMOR-SUPPRESSOR GENE PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN CERVICAL-CANCER - RELATIONSHIP TO PROGNOSIS

Objective: Mutation of the p53 gene can be found in several human tumo rs. We tested the hypothesis whether overexpression of p53 protein is a parameter of more aggressive disease in patients with cervical cance r. Study design: In this study, we describe the effects of p53 overexp ression in 150 patients with cervical cancer (Figo stage IB-IV) by ass essing expression patterns of the p53 gene product using a monoclonal anti-p53 antibody (D07). Results: Overexpression of p53 tumor suppress or gene protein was observed in 30.2%, of the tumors, low expression i n 30.7% and 39.1% of the tumors showed no p53 immunoreactivity. With i ncrease in stage, p53 overexpression raised from 20.1% in stage IB ro 60% in stage IV. A significant correlation between p53 overexpression and disease-free survival of patients was observed, however, after str atification for stage, this effect disappeared. Conclusions: The p53 m utation expressed as p53 tumor suppressor gene protein overexpression is a late event in cervical cancer genesis and does not appear to be o f prognostic significance in cervical cancer.