Serum p53 antibodies in small cell lung cancer: the lack of prognostic relevance

Prognostic relevance of serum p53 antibodies was assessed in 96 patients wi th microscopically proven small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The study group in cluded 67 males and 29 females: mean age 58 years; range 35-86 years; 60 wi th limited disease (LD), and 36 with extensive disease (ED). The control gr oup consisted of 41 patients with non-malignant diseases. The presence of p 53 antibodies was assayed by the immunoenzymatic method (P53 ELISA kit, Pha rmaCell, France). Antibodies were present in 26 SCLC cases (27%,); 15 (25%, ) in LD and ii (31%) in ED. Antibodies were also found in one out of 41 con trol subjects (2%). There was no correlation between the level of antibodie s and clinical characteristics of SCLC patients including age, gender and e xtent of disease. The median follow-up for the entire group was 30 months ( range: 11-39 months). By the time of analysis, 78 patients (82%) had deceas ed. Median survival in SCLC patients with and without antibodies was 42 and 39 weeks, respectively (log rank, P=0.81). These results indicate the lack of clinical relevance of serum p53 antibodies in SCLC. (C) 2001 Elsevier S cience Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.