[Intratumor pO2, S-phase fraction and p53 status in cervix carcinomas].
OBJECTIVE
Investigation whether tumor tissue oxygenation is influenced by proliferation or p53-status in cervical cancers.


METHODS
From April 1995 through December 1996, 28 patients with locally advanced cervical cancers (age 36 to 78 years; FIGO stages: 10 patients IIB, 16 patients IIIB, 2 patients IVA) underwent intratumoral measurement of pO2 prior to definitive radiotherapy. The histological specimens were examined for grading and quantitative immunohistological expression of the MIB-antigen and p53-protein. Proliferation was estimated by measuring the S-phase fraction with flow cytometry.


RESULTS
The median pO2-values showed a broad variation from 2.2 through 60.4 mm Hg, median 19.7 mm Hg. The S-phase fraction varied from 4.2 through 34.2% (median 11.6%), MIB-positive cells from 20 through 100% (median 74%), and immunohistologically p53-positive cells from 0 through 95% (median 2%). The patients were divided in 2 groups according to the pretreatment pO2. Tumors with a pO2 above the median had a lower S-phase fraction than tumors with a pO2 below the median, 10.4 +/- 3.8% versus 16.3 +/- 5.5%, p < 0.02. MIB and p53 were not different in both groups (MIB: 68.1 +/- 27.7% versus 75.0 +/- 18.4%, p = 0.1; p53: 26.4 +/- 38.5% versus 18.1 +/- 19.8%, n. s.). Grade of differentiation and FIGO stage had no impact on pO2.


CONCLUSIONS
Locally advanced cervical cancers with a poor oxygenation have a higher proliferative activity. Tumor proliferation may play a causative role for the development of hypoxia as suspected from radiobiological theories.
Hänsgen
G
G
Klinik für Strahlentherapie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg.
Hintner
I
I
Krause
V
V
Wohlrab
W
W
Dunst
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D016196:S Phase; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D010100:Oxygen