Immunohistochemical evaluation of P53 in squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, particularly prevalent in regions such as East Asia and parts of Africa. The etiology of ESCC is complex, involving a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Among the molecular alterations associated with ESCC, mutations and dysregulation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene have garnered significant attention. The aim was to study the expression of p53 in histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus and to correlate p53 positivity with the grade of the tumor along with other clinicopathological parameters. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective study of squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus and in this study, for 55 cases of ESCC p53 gene expression was analyzed by Immunohistochemistry and these findings were then compared with clinicopathological parameters. Results: In this study 35(63.6%) were males and 20(36.4%) were females. The expression of p53 in ESCC patients significantly correlates with age and betel nut chewing. Only 38% of well differentiated tumors showed positive p53 expression when compared to moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated tumors, which showed 71% and 85% positivity respectively. So there was significant correlation between P53 expression and histological grade of tumor. There were no significant associations between p53 expression and site, lymph node metastasis (N classification) and stage. Conclusion: In conclusion, the expression of p53 in ESCC patients significantly correlates with age, betel nut chewing and histological grade. p53 play an important role in tumor progression and an independent variable affecting the survival.