[p53 and prognosis of urothelial bladder tumors]

Transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder is heterogeneous and unpredictable. Tumor with similar clinicopathological parameters display different progression patterns. There is a need for a better management of these lesions, adapting the therapeutic load to tumor aggressiveness. Among various molecular abnormalities associated with tumor progression, analysis of p53 gene and/or p53 gene product, appears as a critical event. p53 mutation is observed in 34% of cases. Nuclear overexpression of p53 protein by mean of immunohistochemistry on tissue specimens and p53 gene mutations detectable on bladder washings may in the future implement histopathological and cytological analysis on routine preparations. Methods of standardisation and comparison between markers, are necessary in order to plan prospectives studies. These data strongly suggest that p53 gene and gene product alterations may be used as a clinically relevant tumor marker for bladder cancer.