p53 protein overexpression in smooth muscle tumors of the uterus*1

p53 is a nuclear phosphoprotein whose overexpression may portend a poor prognosis in a variety of neoplasms. In this immunohistochemical study we examined p53 overexpression in a variety of uterine smooth muscle tumors (34 leiomyosarcomas, 18 leiomyomas, and six smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential [STUMps]). p53 immunoreactivity was observed in none of 18 (0%) leiomyomas, one of six (17%) STUMPs, and 16 of 34 (47%) leiomyosarcomas. Reactivity was not observed in the surrounding nonneoplastic uterine smooth muscle. Strong p53 overexpression in the leiomyosarcomas was significantly associated with high grade morphology ( P = .013) and a high stage at the time of presentation ( P = .021). In 25 leiomyosarcoma patients with clinical follow-up, p53 overexpression was associated with shorter length of survival ( P = 0.024). However, this effect was not independent of tumor stage or grade. A regression analysis showed that tumor stage was the only independent predictor of length of survival. Our study size is small, and further studies are warranted to determine the significance and replicability of these findings.