BACKGROUNDNeoadjuvant chemotheropy can improve the survival rate of patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), whose chemotherapy is valid. The value of P53 expression in stage III NSCLC has not been reported. This study is to investigate the value of P53 expression on neoadjuvant chemotherapy sensitivity and prognosis in stage III NSCLC and to investigate the relationship between P53 expression and the result from thoracic CT examination.

METHODSBy immunohistochemical technique, the expression of P53 in 51 patients with stage III NSCLC who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy was determined in contrast with 49 patients with stage III NSCLC without neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Every patient who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy was examined by thoracic CT before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

RESULTS(1) There was no significant difference in the positive rate of P53 and the median survival time between neoadjuvant group and control group (48.98% vs 49.02% and 18 months vs 19 months). In neoadjuvant chemotherapy group, the median survival time was significantly different between P53 positive patients and P53 negative ones (13 months vs 31 months). (2) The expression of P53 was related to the neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic response by the results from thoracic CT examination (r=0.537, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS(1)Detection of P53 expression might be helpful to predict the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. (2)The expression of P53 and the neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic results from thoracic CT examination are correlated.