title: The difference between p53 mutation frequency in haematological and non-haematological malignancies: possible explanations.
abstract: p53 gene mutations are the most frequent alterations in human cancers. In the published literature, a highly significant statistical difference between the prevalence of p53 mutations in haematological (H) and non-haematological (NH) malignancies can be found. However, no consistent reasons have been suggested to explain it. We propose two non-exclusive possibilities: (i) in H tumours p53 is altered with the same frequency as in NH tumours, but mechanisms other than mutations are involved and (ii) in H malignancies the prevalence of p53 mutations is much lower than in NH cancers because other genetic disturbances are involved. We hypothesized that retention of wild-type p53 in H cancers may be a consequence of: (a) the presence of telomerase activity in haematological cells and/or (b) the absence of hypoxia in the majority of H tumours.
authors.affiliation: The Victor Babes Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ivan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stefanescu
mesh_terms: D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53