Allelic deletions on chromosome-17 and mutations in the p53 gene in tumors metastatic to brain

Metastasis associated with tumor progression denotes more aggressive tumor behavior, more malignant histology, and worsening patient prognosis. Brain is one of the common sites to which solid tumors metastasize. Since mutations in the tumor suppressor gene p53 are associated with tumor progression to malignancy in various cancers, we examined the molecular genetic profile of the p53 gene and also analyzed allelic losses of various genes on the short arm of chromosome 17 (17p) in 10 metastatic brain tumors (4 breast, 3 renal, 1 lung, 1 esophageal, and 1 squamous cell carcinoma) and in two of the primary tumors (I breast, 1 renal) corresponding to two of the 10 metastases. Six of the 10 metastatic tumors (4/4 breast, 1/1 esophageal and 1/1 squamous cell carcinoma) contained allelic loss and/or mutations of the p53 gene. The p53 gene profile was identical in both of the primary tumors and their corresponding metastases that were examined. If borne out by a larger series of analysis on tumors, especially from breast, as well as from other organs, detection of chromosome 17/p53 alterations may be of substantial clinical significance in predicting the metastatic potential of primary tumors.