Faculty Collaboration Database

bcl-2 and p53 expression in resectable pancreatic adenocarcinomas: association with clinical outcome. Clin Cancer Res 1996 Dec;2(12):2015-22

Date

12/01/1996

Pubmed ID

9816161

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0030443653 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   55 Citations

Abstract

The bcl-2 proto-oncogene and the p53 tumor suppressor gene are important determinants of tumor cell susceptibility to apoptosis. bcl-2 and mutant p53 proteins inhibit apoptosis in vitro and can provide prognostic information in certain tumor types. We analyzed bcl-2 and p53 expression in archival pancreatic (n = 35) and ampullary (n = 6) adenocarcinomas, resected for cure, and their relationship to overall survival. Patients were treated with 5-fluorouracil and irradiation either pre- (n = 21) or postoperatively (n = 15); 5 patients received surgery alone. Using specific monoclonal antibodies, cytoplasmic bcl-2 and nuclear p53 proteins were detected in 22 of 40 (55%) and 20 of 37 (54%) tumors, respectively. No relationship was found between bcl-2 and p53 expression. Neither bcl-2 nor p53 correlated with histological response to preoperative chemoradiation. Lymph node involvement predicted poor overall survival (P = 0.02). A trend toward improved survival was seen in well-differentiated (P = 0.08) tumors and in those with increased bcl-2 expression (P = 0.06). p53 expression was not related to clinical outcome. In a multivariate analysis, nodal status was the single most important predictor of overall survival. Of note, the combined variable of bcl-2 expression and histological grade was a stronger prognostic variable than nodal status alone. Unlike nodal status, these features can potentially be evaluated in preoperative biopsy specimens.

Author List

Sinicrope FA, Evans DB, Leach SD, Cleary KR, Fenoglio CJ, Lee JJ, Abbruzzese JL

Author

Douglas B. Evans MD Chair, Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adenocarcinoma
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Female
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Male
Middle Aged
Pancreatic Neoplasms
Prognosis
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
Survival Analysis
Tumor Suppressor Protein p53