Molecular Markers in Gastric Cancer: Can p53 and Bcl-2 Protein Expressions be Used as Prognostic Factors?

Background: The prognostic value of p53 and bcl-2 protein expressions in gastric cancer is still unclear, as shown by the discordant results still reported in the literature. Patients and Methods: In this study, p53 and bcl-2 protein expressions were investigated by immunohistochemistry and correlated with various clinicopathological parameters and survival, in a series of 52 gastric cancer patients who underwent potentially curative gastrectomy. Results: p53 expression was observed in 34 patients (65.4%) and was significantly correlated with the intestinal type of cancer (p=0.018). Bcl-2 expression was detected in 12 patients (23.1%) and inversely correlated with lymph node metastasis (p=0.042) and tumour grade (p=0.024). There was a statistically significant inverse relationship between p53 and bcl-2 expression (p=0.014). Moreover, p53 and bcl-2 protein expressions had no significant influence on overall survival. Conclusion: These results suggest that the expression of p53 and bcl-2 proteins has no significant impact on the outcome of patients with gastric cancer.