S. Geisler et al., Influence of TP53 gene alterations and c-erbB-2 expression on the responseto treatment with doxorubicin in locally advanced breast cancer, CANCER RES, 61(6), 2001, pp. 2505-2512
TP53 status [mutations, immunostaining, and loss of heterozygosity (LOH)],
expression of c-erbB-2, bcl-2, and histological grading were correlated to
the response to doxorubicin monotherapy (14 mg/m(2)) administered weekly to
90 patients with locally advanced breast cancer. Mutations in the TP53 gen
e, in particular those affecting or disrupting the loop domains L2 or L3 of
the p53 protein, were associated with lack of response to chemotherapy (P
= 0.063 for all mutations and P = 0.008 for mutations affecting L2/L3, resp
ectively), Similarly, expression of c-erbB-2 (P = 0.041), a high histologic
al grade (P = 0.023), and lack of expression of bcl-2 (P = 0.018) all predi
cted chemoresistance. No statistically significant association between eith
er p53 immunostaining or TP53 LOH and response to therapy was recorded, des
pite the finding that bath were associated with TP53 mutation status (p53 i
mmunostaining, P < 0.001; LOH, P = 0.021). Lack of immunostaining for p53 d
espite mutation of the TP53 gene was particularly seen in tumors harboring
nonsense mutations or deletions/splices (7 of 10 negative for staining comp
ared with 4 of 16 with missense mutations). TP53 mutations (total/affecting
L2/L3 domains) were associated with expression of c-erbB-2 (P < 0.001 for
both), high histological grade (P = 0.001 and P = 0.025), and bcl-2 negativ
ity (P = 0.003 and P = 0.002), TP53 mutations, histological grade, and expr
ession of bcl-2 (but not LOH or c-erbB-2 expression) all predicted for rela
pse-free as well as breast cancer-specific survival in univariate analysis
(Ps between <0.0001 and 0.0155), but only tumor grade was found to be predi
ctive in multivariate analysis (P = 0.01 and P = 0.0007, respectively), Our
data are consistent with the hypothesis that certain TP53 mutations predic
t for resistance to doxorubicin in breast cancer patients. However, the obs
ervation that the majority of patients with TP53 mutations affecting or dis
rupting the L2/L3 domains with LOH in addition (n = 12) obtained a partial
response (n = 4) or stabilization of disease (n = 5) during chemotherapy su
ggests redundant mechanisms to compensate for loss of p53 function. Our fin
dings are consistent with the hypothesis that other defects may act in conc
ert with loss of p53 function, causing resistance to doxorubicin in breast
cancers.