Mutants of p53 gene presence in laryngeal carcinoma and adjacent histopathologically normal tissue.

Possible differences were analyzed between histopathological and molecular biological findings in laryngeal cancer tissue and its adjacent normal tissues. p53 gene mutations were detected in histopathologically normal tissue both within 0.5 cm of and more than 0.5 cm distant from the nearest cancerous tissue. Since the p53 mutation was common in both cancer tissue and adjacent normal tissue, the gene mutation may play an important role in laryngeal carcinogenesis. Radical excision of the tumor is defined by histopathological limits, but 'normal' tissue may nevertheless contain the gene mutation, giving rise to the danger of further cancer development. We suggest that the determination of the surgical margin should be based on a combination of histopathology and molecular biological findings. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel