title: P53 gene protein overexpression predicts results of trimodality therapy in esophageal cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  P53 protein overexpression in esophageal cancer and its correlation with response and survival after chemoradiation was retrospectively investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pretreatment and resection specimens were stained by automatic p53 immunohistochemical staining technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  P53 was expressed in 84.0% of esophagoscopy (EGD) biopsies; 71.4% of patients with metastasis of thoracoscopy/laparoscopy lymph nodes (TS/LS LN) identified by hematoxylin/eosin (H/E) were p53 (+); 14.2% of patients with negative TS/LS LN by H/E were p53 (+). Eleven out of 18 patients with p53 (+) in pretreatment EGD remained p53 (+) after chemoradiation; 38.8% of these patients had a pathological complete response (pCR). The median survival of this group was 15 months. Of 4 patients with p53 (-) pretreatment EGD, all of those were still p53 (-) after chemoradiation; 75% of these patients had pCR. The median survival was 30 months. In patients with p53 (+) TS/LS LN, 23% had a pCR after chemoradiation with a median survival of 16 months. In patients with p53 (-) TS/LS LN, 50.0% had a pCR with a median survival of 31.5 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  P53 protein overexpression in pretreatment EGD and TS/LS LN may predict response to chemoradiation and survival in esophageal cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201, USA. mkrasna@surgery1.ab.umd.edu
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Krasna
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sonett
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suntharalingam
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Meltzer
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000737:chemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53