Abstract

Authors studied the ovcrexpression of p53 and c-erbB-2 in 278 gastric cancer patients who were operated in KCCH from 1985 Jan. to 1987 Jan., by immunohistochemical staining using ar- chival paraffin embedded tissue and the possibility of them as prognostic factors. Overall overexpression rate was 39.2% for p53 and 15.1% for c-erbB-2 respectively. There were no dif- ferences in overexpression rate according to sex, age, Borrmann type, depth of tumor, nodal metastasis, growth pattern, lymphatic or venous invasion, tumor size and distant organ metastasis in both p53 and c-erbB-2. The overexpression rate of c-erbB-2 of well or moderately differentiated type and that of Laurens intestinal type were higher than that of paorly differentiated type and diffuse type. Overall cumulative five year survival rates of positive group for p53 and c-erbB-2 were slightly lower than those of negative group, but the differences of them were not significant. However, cumulative five year survival rate of positive group for c-erbB-2 in intestinal type cancer was lower than that of negative group significantly (0. 035I). So, we suggest that c-erbB-2 overexpression could be a prognostic factor in gastric cancer, especially in intestinal type.

• Keywords: Gastric cancer, p53, c-erbB-2, Immunohistochemical staining, Prognostic factor