Prognostic Significance of the p53 Mutation in Esophageal Cancer

Abstract

In the esophagus, alterations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene are associated with the development of preinvasive neoplastic lesions to invasive carcinoma. The role of p53 gene mutation in the progression of esophageal cancer still remains unclear. In this study, 82 DNA samples extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded esophageal cancer tissues were analyzed for p53 mutation by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis. All the patients had been treated surgically and were Japanese. Exons 5 through 8 of the p53 gene were amplified in DNAs and the mutations detected in 28 cases (34%) did not correlate with tumor location, histopathologic classification, histologic depth of tumor invasion, lymph node involvement or clinical stage. Among 39 patients with stage 3 and 4 disease who had undergone radical esophageal resection, those with p53 mutation had a poorer prognosis, the two-year survival being 25.4% compared with 61.2% for those without p53 mutation (P<0.01). These results suggest that p53 gene mutations play an important role not only in the genesis but also the progression of human esophageal cancer.

Loss of p53 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and the correlation with survival: Analyses of gene mutations, protein expression, and loss of heterozygosity in Japanese patients

“…However, there have been no meta-analyses investigating p53 alteration and prognosis in esophageal cancer. For esophageal cancer, Uchino et al [23] reported that ESCC patients with stages III or IV with a p53 gene mutation have a poor prognosis compared with those without p53 gene mutation. Kobayashi et al [24] reported the same result for stage II or III ESCC.…”

Mutations in Zinc‐binding Domains of p53 as a Prognostic Marker of Esophageal‐cancer Patients

“…3,4) With regard to esophageal cancers, mutations of the p53 gene have been reported in 38-69% of the tumors examined to date. [5][6][7] However, the claim that p53 mutation can be a general prognostic indicator, or a predictor for response to therapy, remains controversial. 8,9) In the study reported here we examined the mutational status of p53 in esophageal cancers from 138 patients, and investigated the correlation of mutations with either the patients' prognoses or their response to chemotherapy or radiation.…”

Metallothionein Expression Correlates with the Pathological Response of Patients with Esophageal Cancer Undergoing Preoperative Chemoradiation Therapy

“…It would be of interest to examine whether the mutation in p53 in the tumor can predict the response to chemoradiation therapy. A high correlation has been reported between the presence of p53 mutations and p53 nuclear protein accumulation in esophageal cancer [28]. The p53-positive immunohistochemical staining in the nuclei indicates the presence of mutated protein.…”