Clinicopathologic Significance of the Expression of Mutated P53 Protein and the Proliferative Activity of Cancer Cells in Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Overexpression of mutated p53 protein is detected in the early stage of esophageal cancer. This mutated p53 protein may not play an important role for tumor invasion. When tumor invasion is limited to the submucosa, cancer cells that overexpress mutated p53 protein may acquire high proliferative activity. Such cells might have considerable potential for metastasis to the lymph nodes.