DNA-ploidy and mutant p53 overexpression in primary fallopian tube cancer.

Nuclear DNA content and p53 immunoreactivity were determined in 53 cases of primary fallopian tube cancer (PFTC). All tumors showed a distinctly aneuploid DNA distribution pattern, whereas p53 immunoreactivity was observed in 51% of the cases. If the patients were divided into two groups according to survival time, p53 immunoreactivity was present in 40% of the tumors from patients surviving for more than 8 years and in 65% of tumors from patients who died within 2 years. This difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.438). Patient survival was significantly correlated to the clinical stage (FIGO) (P = 0.0009).