This short report describes the detection of mutations of the TP53 tum
our suppressor gene in sporadic ovarian carcinomas using archival para
ffin-embedded tissues and automated fluorescent DNA sequencing. TP53 m
utations were detected in eight tumours. Missense mutations predominat
ed and all were transitions. Mutations were commonest in late-stage se
rous tumours. In three cases, where tissue was available, the mutation
s were homogeneous throughout several sections of the bilateral ovaria
n tumours and in omental metastases. These data confirm the findings o
f previous investigations describing TP53 mutation in ovarian carcinom
a and demonstrate that archival paraffin-embedded tissues can be used
for such analyses. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.