p53 overexpression in advanced-stage endometrial adenocarcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Mutation and overexpression of the p53 tumor suppressor gene in endometrial cancers are associated with advanced stage and poor survival. We sought to determine whether p53 overexpression is an independent variable predictive of poor prognosis in advanced endometrial adenocarcinomas.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical evaluation was used to examine p53 expression in paraffin blocks from 179 endometrial adenocarcinomas.


RESULTS
p53 overexpression was seen in 35% of cancers and was associated with higher stage (p = 0.004), black race (p < 0.001), higher grade (p = 0.02), lack of hormone replacement (p = 0.04), and older age (p = 0.05). In addition to a higher frequency of p53 overexpression (57% vs 26%), black women had a lower survival rate than white women (p = 0.001), but overexpression was associated with poor survival in both races. After we corrected for hormone use, multivariate analysis revealed that older age (p < 0.001), higher stage (p < 0.001), higher grade (p = 0.01), and p53 overexpression (p = 0.04) were predictive of poor survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Overexpression of p53 in advanced-stage endometrial cancers is an independent variable that is associated with poor survival, occurs more frequently in black women, and may contribute to the racial disparity in survival.
Kohler
M F
MF
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Carney
P
P
Dodge
R
R
Soper
J T
JT
Clarke-Pearson
D L
DL
Marks
J R
JR
Berchuck
A
A
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu / Q000032:analysis*; D011379:Prognosis
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; C091648:TUFM protein, human; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu