Relevance of p53 gene alterations for tumor recurrence in patients with superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Abstract

The prognostic relevance of p53 protein accumulation in muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma is well documented, but the prognostic relevance of p53 alterations in superficial bladder tumors remains uncertain. Immunohistochemical data are divergent, possibly because of the use of nonstandardized techniques. We therefore investigated the relevance of p53 gene point mutations and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for tumor recurrence. The results of this molecular analysis were compared with accumulation of the p53 protein as shown by immunohistochemistry.