title: Detection of p53 protein in oropharyngeal carcinoma. Prognostic implications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate how the detection of p53 protein in formaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded oropharyngeal carcinoma may be used as a factor in estimating prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  University medical centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Validation cohort. Formaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx tissues from 106 patients who underwent surgical therapy between 1975 and 1988 were immunostained by using M-7001 antibody (IgG class).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overexpression of p53 was observed in 46 tumors (43.4%). The detection of nuclear p53 was significantly associated with an increased risk of recurrence of oropharyngeal carcinoma (P = .05). Similar results were obtained when the presence or absence of p53 in the nuclei of the tumor cells was studied in relation to overall survival (P < .001). In a multivariate analysis stratified according to grade, pathological stage, and lymph node status, nuclear p53 status was an independent predictor of overall survival (P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, an accumulation of p53 in the tumor cell nuclei detected by immunohistochemical methods predicts a significantly increased risk of death, independent of tumor grade, stage, and lymph node status. The p53 overexpression appears to be a useful prognostic factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Central de Asturias (Oviedo), Spain.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Caminero
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Núñez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ablanedo
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Riera
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dominguez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53