The inverse cancer comorbidity in schizophrenia patients may be related to the genetic factors ,involving the regu‐lation of apoptosis .The tumour suppressor gene TP53 ,involved in neural apoptosis ,is one of the potential candidate genes associat‐ed with schizophrenia which might reduce colorectal cancer risk .We recruited 270 schizophrenia patients and 312 colorectal cancer patients without schizophrenia .To examine the genetic association between schizophrenia and colorectal cancer ,we analysed eight SNPs (rs12951053 ,rs1625895 ,rs2909430 ,rs9895829 ,rs1042522 ,rs8079544 ,rs8064946 ,rs17806770) covering 14 .35 kb in the re‐gion of TP53 .We observed that one of the eight genetic polymorphisms showed statistically significant differences between the colo‐rectal cancer subjects and the schizophrenia subjects (rs12951053 ,P=0 .000 1 ,OR 1 .70 ,95% CI 1 .30-2 .23) .In addition ,the hap‐lotype of A‐G (rs12951053‐rs8064946) ,giving a global P=0 .001 8 ,was the most significant .Our data indicate that the polymor‐phisms of rs12951053 in TP53 confer reduced susceptibility to colorectal cancer and suggest a potential protective mechanism a‐gainst colorectal cancer in the schizophrenia patients of Han Chinese origin .