P53 and Survival Rate in Penile Cancer

BACKGROUND: Penile cancer accounts for 0.4-0.6% of all malignancy in men in Europe and the United States of America. It also accounts for 10% of all malignancy in men in some Asian, South American, and African countries. P53 protein has the function to regulate apoptosis in the cell cycle. Therefore, the presence of p53 in cells may indicate higher proliferative activity of the cells as a feedback mechanism, indicating disease progression. AIM: This study aims to identify the association between p53 expression and survival rate in penile cancer patients. METHODS: This study was a retrospective observational analytic study. This study was conducted in Pathology Anatomy Laboratory Faculty of the Medicine University of Sumatera Utara/Haji Adam Malik Hospital/University of Sumatera Utara Hospital to assess p53 expression. This study was conducted from January 2018 to December 2018. RESULTS: The total subjects in this study were 33 with the mean age of 50.79 ± 10.62. Based on clinical stage, patients in this study are divided into 11 patients (33.3%) in stage T II and 22 patients (66.7%) in stage T III/T IV. P53 expression was positive in 13 patients (35.3%). There were 19 patients (57.6) alive and 14 patients (42.4%) deceased. Statistical analysis using chi-square showed that there was an association between p53 expression and mortality (p = 0.011). In the Kaplan-Meier Curve for 3-year overall survival based on p53 expression, the survival rate in 36 months in the p53 positive group is 18%, while in p53 negative group, the survival rate was 60%. The survival rate based on p53 status was significantly different (p = 0.025). CONCLUSION: There is a significant association between p53 expression and mortality in penile cancer patients. In conclusion, p53 expression in penile cancer cells examined by immunohistochemistry may show prognostic values in the disease progression.