Prognostic value of p53 accumulation in epithelial ovarian carcinomas

Abstract 

Aim: To evaluate the prognostic significance of p53 expression in epithelial ovarian carcinomas (EOC), and to look for correlations between p53 and other disease parameters. Material and methods: Immunohistochemical techniques were used to evaluate p53 expression in paraffin-embedded tissue specimens of 50 EOC cases. Results: p53 immunoreactivity was present in 33 of the 50 cases (66%). The expression of the p53 did not show any association with the tumor histologic type, grade or with the disease stage. However, p53 accumulation was significantly more prevalent among tumors with high mitotic index (p<0.01). Although median survival was low in the p53 negative cases, this biologic marker did not reveal as an independent prognostic factor in Cox’s regression analysis. Conclusion: Abnormalities of p53 expression which is an inducer of apoptosis occur commonly in EOC. Although we could not find it as an independent prognostic factor, p53 expression should be studied in larger series to reveal its accurate prognostic significance.