The expression of waf-1, p53 and bcl-2 in prostatic adenocarcinoma.
Biostatistical modeling using traditional
variables and genetic biomarkers for predicting the risk of
prostate
carcinoma recurrence after radical prostatectomy.
The expression of waf-1, p53 and bcl-2 in prostatic adenocarcinoma.
Byrne RL, Wilson Horne CH, Robinson MC, Autzen P, Apakama I,
Bishop RI, Neal DE and Hamdy FC.
British Journal of Urology 1997, 79: 190-195.
The above three gene products have been shown to be involved in
modulating apoptosis or programmed cell
death. Immunohistochemical stains were performed for these three
gene products in prostate cancer specimens
(biopsy/TURP/radical prostatectomy) from 40 patients with
different stages and grades of disease and up to 35
months follow up. There was no correlation between waf-1 and/or
bcl-2 staining and clinical grade, stage or
tumour progression. Tumours may be p53 positive because of
mutations or deletions within the gene. The study
confirmed previous reports that patients with tumours that are
p53 positive have a shorter time to disease
progression than those that are not. However, it should be noted
that p53 mutation does not appear to be a
prerequisite for disease progression to occur in prostate cancer,
therefore routine immunohistochemical staining
for p53 with view to gaining prognostic information over and
above stage and grade is not indicated.
Biostatistical modeling using
traditional variables and genetic biomarkers for predicting the
risk of prostate
carcinoma recurrence after radical prostatectomy.
Bauer JJ, Connelly RR, Sesterhenn IA, Bettencourt MC, McLeod DG,
Srivastava S and Moul JW.
Cancer 1997, 79: 952-962.
This interesting study combined known predictors of recurrence of
prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy
with genetic biomarkers (p53 and bcl-2) to predict which patients
will go on to suffer from biochemical (PSA)
failure. A model was created using only variables that were
additional explanatory variables and these included
p53 and bcl-2. The model categorised the men into 3 distinct risk
groups. It remains to be seen how this test is
incorporated into daily practice.