p63 expression has been identified in several cohorts as a predictor of poorer prognosis in Merkel cell carcinoma. We used multivariate analysis in a large independent cohort to determine the clinical utility of this parameter. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine p63 expression on MCC tumors from 128 patients. Of these, 33% had detectable p63 expression. p63 positivity was associated with an increased risk of death from MCC (hazard ratio 2.05, p = 0.02) in a multivariate Cox regression model considering stage at presentation, age at diagnosis, and gender. Although p63 expression correlated with diminished survival in this largest cohort reported thus far, the effect was weaker than that observed in prior studies. Indeed, within a given stage, p63 status did not predict survival in a clinically or statistically significant manner. It thus remains unclear whether this test should be integrated into routine MCC patient management.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.