RESUMEN
The role of p53 mutation in oral cancer cases has not been studied in Malaysia. This study was designed to focus on over expression of p53 nuclear protein and gene mutation in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cases in Hospital University Science Malaysia (HUSM). Twenty randomly selected cases previously diagnosed as oral SCC lesions in HUSM since 2002 were included in this study. Patients folders were reviewed to study clinical history and tumor staging. Extracted DNA amplified using PCR. Gene sequencing had done to detect genetic mutation. Protein overexpression detected using the Streptavidin-biotin Peroxidase technique. P53 gene mutations, analyzed within exons 5- 8, were observed in 10 out of 20 cases (50%) of oral SCC. The positive nuclear staining by immunohistochemical was observed in 18 cases (18/20, 90%). These data indicate the highly incidence of p53 protein overexpression as well as specific mutations in oral SCC patients in Malaysia. However this preliminary study had been based on analysis of relatively few cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma, so further study require to including large number of cases from different states in Malaysia.