The TP53 codon 72 polymorphism may affect the function of TP53 mutations in breast carcinomas but not in colorectal carcinomas.

An Arg/Pro polymorphism in codon 72 of the TP53 gene was analyzed in blood samples from 390 breast and 162 colorectal cancer patients previously investigated for TP53 mutations in their tumors. Among the breast cancer cases, 228 were homozygous for the Arg72 allele, of which, 65 (28.5%) also had a TP53 mutation in their tumors.