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Background: Postmenopausal hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) increases breast-cancer risk. The influence of HRT on the biology of the primary tumor, however, is not well understood.

Background: TP53 has been described as a prognostic factor in many malignancies, including breast cancer. Whether it also might be a predictive factor with reference to chemo-and endocrine therapy is more controversial. Patients and methods: We investigated relapse-free (RFS), breast cancer-corrected (BCCS) and overall survival (OS) related to TP53 status in node-positive breast cancer patients that had received polychemotherapy [cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil (CMF)] and/or endocrine therapy (tamoxifen). Sequence analyses of the whole TP53 coding region was performed in 376 patients operated on for primary breast cancer with axillary lymph node metastases between 1984 and 1989 (median follow-up time 84 months). Results: TP53 mutations were found in 105 patients (28%). We found 90 (82%) of the 110 mutations in the more frequently analysed exons 5 -8, while the other 20 (18%) were located in exons 3 -4 and 9 -10, respectively. Univariate analyses showed TP53 to be a significant prognostic factor with regard to RFS, BCCS and OS in patients who received adjuvant CMF. Conclusions: TP53 mutations might induce resistance to certain modalities of breast cancer therapy. Sequence-determined TP53 mutation was of negative prognostic value in the total patient population and in the CMF treated patients.