p53 gene mutation is not directly related to tumoricidal effects of preoperative radiochemohyperthermia therapy for rectal cancers.
BACKGROUND
Several studies have recently demonstrated that apoptosis of cancer cells is triggered by diverse adjuvant cancer therapies and the induction of apoptosis correlates with the sensitivity of the primary tumor to such therapies.


METHODS
We investigated the factors modulating adjuvant cancer therapies by examining p53 gene mutations and chromosome 17p allelic losses in 15 rectal cancers treated by a preoperative combined therapy consisting of radiation, intraluminal hyperthermia and 5-fluorouracil suppositories.


RESULTS
The point mutations were detected in 7 of 15 (46.7%) tumors by single-stranded conformational polymorphism and direct sequencing. Allelic losses at chromosome 17p were also detected in 7 of 15 (46.7%) tumors by dinucleotide-repeat polymorphisms. There was no correlation between p53 gene abnormalities and the preoperative tumoricidal effect of the therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that p53 gene abnormalities do not directly increase resistance to the combined adjuvant therapy.
First Department of Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan.
D
D
Ichikawa
T
T
Yamaguchi
M
M
Shirasu
K
K
Kitamura
J
J
Inazawa
T
T
Abe
T
T
Takahashi
D000483:Alleles; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D002886:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 / Q000235:genetics*; D005334:Fever; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016158:Genes, p53 / Q000235:genetics*; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D017354:Point Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D013488:Suppositories
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D013488:Suppositories; D005472:Fluorouracil