European journal of surgical oncology : the journal of the European Society of Surgical Oncology and the British Association of Surgical Oncology
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The type of a biomarker - whether it is prognostic or predictive - is frequently not known, although such information is crucial for assessing the clinical value of a marker. In order to evaluate the type of marker TP53 is, we identified a cohort of 76 patients with colorectal liver metastases (CLM), homogeneously staged as resectable, who had been treated either with or without fluorouracil-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The TP53 genotype was assessed retrospectively from paraffin-embedded, diagnostic tumour biopsies using a standardised, p53 gene-specific sequencing protocol (mark53(®) kit). ⋯ In patients treated with surgery alone, a mutated TP53 did not have a negative effect on survival (P = 0.54). A mutated TP53 status independently predicted survival disadvantage in CLM patients in the presence, but not in the absence, of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Our data suggest that TP53 might be a pure predictive marker.
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Breast cancer treatment in elderly patients is controversial. This single-centre study was conducted to review the treatment and outcomes for octogenarian women treated for breast cancer. ⋯ In women ≥80 years with early-stage breast cancer, standard surgical treatment was associated with a better BCSS when compared with PET.