Bcl-2 and p53 expression in node-negative breast carcinoma: a study with long-term follow-up.

Journal article

Bcl-2 and p53 gene products (Bcl-2, p53) are important regulators of apoptosis and cell proliferation, and their immunohistochemical expression may help to identify high-risk breast cancer patients. The authors evaluated p53 and Bcl-2 immunoreactivity in 178 node-negative breast cancers (NNBC) with long-term follow-up (median, 60 months). Bcl-2 was seen in 111 (62%) cases, and was significantly associated with small tumor size, nonductal morphology, low tumor grade, estrogen-receptor (ER) positivity, and p53 negativity. p53 overexpression (ie, > 15% reactive nuclei) was observed in 31 (17%) cases, and was associated with lower age, large tumor size, ductal morphology, high tumor grade, negative ER status, and lack of Bcl-2 immunoreactivity. In univariate analysis, the variables associated with short relapse-free survival (RFS) were large tumor size (P = .002), high histological grade (P = .01), high mitotic count (P = .03), and high Nottingham prognostic index (NPI) (P = .0002). In multivariate analysis (final model), only the NPI was of independent prognostic value concerning RFS.

Authors: Barbareschi, M; Caffo, O; Veronese, S; Leek, R; Fina, P

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Human pathology
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 11
• Pages: 1149-1155
• Publication date: 1996-11-01
• DOI: 10.1016/s0046-8177(96)90307-x
• EISSN: 1532-8392
• ISSN: 0046-8177
• Language: English
• Keywords: Carcinoma; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; Follow-Up Studies; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; Receptors, Estrogen; Lymphatic Metastasis; Survival Rate; Middle Aged; Analysis of Variance; Breast Neoplasms; Prognosis; Female; Humans; Survival Analysis