p73 overexpression is a prognostic factor in patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma

To examine the expression of p73 in the different stages of colorectal cancer development and the association of p73 expression with patient survival.

Expression of p73 protein was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 221 primary colorectal cancer patients, including 58 patients with matched normal mucosa and metastases in the regional lymph nodes.

Frequency and intensity of p73 expression were markedly increased from the normal samples (19%) to primary tumors (67%) and to metastases (95%). Overexpression of p73 predicted poor outcome in the whole group of patients (P = 0.014) and the subgroups with left-sided (P = 0.002) or ras-positive tumors (P = 0.019). The prognostic significance remained in the whole group (P = 0.008) and the subgroup with left-sided tumors (P = 0.019) after adjustment for the patient's sex, age, tumor stage, growth pattern, and differentiation. The p73 expression was positively correlated with ras expression (P = 0.006). The 5-year survival rates were 37, 53, 72, and 74% for the patients with p73+/ras+, p73+/ras-, p73-/ras+, and p73-/ras- tumors, respectively (P = 0.007).

Our data indicate that overexpression of p73 independently predicted poor prognosis in the patients with colorectal cancer.