p53 and skin carcinomas with skull base invasion: a case-control study.
BACKGROUND
Some skin carcinomas may be very aggressive. Increased expression of the protein p53 has been associated with tumor aggressiveness. In this study, p53 expression was evaluated in basal cell carcinomas (BCC) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) with skull base invasion, and was compared to tumors with good outcome.


METHODS
Expression of p53 was immunohistochemically analyzed and it was reported as present or absent in 24 BCC and 11 SCC with skull base invasion. Control group (good outcome) included 23 BCC and 10 SCC.


RESULTS
Expression of p53 was noted in 70.83% of BCC with skull base invasion, compared to 43.48% in the control group (P = 0.058). Regarding SCC, p53 positivity was noted in only 9.09% of SCC with skull base invasion, compared to 40.00% in the control group (P = 0.149).


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, p53 expression was more common among BCC with skull base invasion, compared to controls with good outcome, and the difference was considered marginally significant. This proportion was reversed in SCC, but the difference was not statistically significant.


METHODS
B-3b.
Cernea
Claudio R
CR
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of São Paulo Medical School, Alameda Franca 267, cjto. 21, São Paulo, CEP 01422-000, Brazil. cerneamd@uol.com.br
Ferraz
Alberto R
AR
de Castro
Inês V
IV
Sotto
Miriam N
MN
Logullo
Angela F
AF
Bacchi
Carlos E
CE
Potenza
André S
AS
D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*
D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53