Abstract
The expression of the p53 and Rb1 proteins was examined in an unselected consecutive series of 250 primary operable colorectal carcinomas with a mean follow-up of 4.3 years (range 43-77 months). The overall cancer-specific mortality was 34.8%, with 87 cancer deaths and 35 deaths as the result of other causes. Expression of p53 protein was identified in 152 of 250 (60.8%) cases, with expression of Rb1 protein in 207 of 250 (82.8%) cases. There was no association of p53 or Rb protein expression with patient age, sex, tumour site, tumour size, tumour type, tumour grade, peritumoral fibrosis, tumour lymphocytic infiltrate, nature of the tumour margin, extramural vascular invasion, number of lymph nodes or high apical lymph node involved or local peritoneal infiltration by tumour, Dukes' stage or Jass group. There was no difference in overall survival or recurrence-free survival for those cases that showed p53 expression or Rb1 protein expression compared with those cases showing absence of p53 or Rb1 protein expression, although patients with tumours showing aberrant (reduced) Rb1 protein expression demonstrated shorter recurrence-free survival and overall survival. The effect of 'aberrant' Rb1 protein expression and shorter recurrence-free and overall survival did not, however, achieve independent statistical significance. The results from this study would suggest that expression of p53 and Rb1 proteins does not appear be useful in determining the prognosis of operable colorectal cancer.
Highlights
Aberrant Rbl expression, for the purposes of this study, was defined as any tumour showing less than 50% of tumour nuclei with Rbl protein expression
The results show that there was little or no prognostic effect of p53 and Rbl protein expression in a large unselected series of colorectal carcinomas
There are a large number of pathological studies in which immunohistochemical p53 protein analysis has been examined together with p53 gene mutations in a variety of tumour types (Dunn et al, 1993; Baas et al, 1994, 1996; McManus et al, 1994; Kocialkowski et al, 1995; Nylander et al, 1995)
Summary
The results of p53 immunostaining and clinical variables are shown in Tables 1 and 2 and Figure 1. There was no relationship of tumour p53 expression with recurrence-free survival or overall patient survival (Figure 2). Positive nuclear Rbl staining was seen in the majority of tumours examined - 207 of 250 (82.8%) cases (Table 1 and Figure 3). There was again no relationship between tumour Rbl protein expression and patient age, sex, site of tumour, tumour size, tumour type (standard adenocarcinoma or mucinous), tumour grade, peritumoral lymphocytic infiltrate, nature of the invasive tumour margin, extramural vascular or lymphatic invasion, lymph node involvement, involvement of the peritoneum by tumour and Dukes' stage. There was no relationship between tumour Rbl expression and recurrence-free survival or overall patient survival (Figures 4 and 5).
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