Ki-67 and p53 expression of the fallopian tube mucosa in breast cancer patients with hereditary risk.

Purpose: The fallopian tube has been implicated as a site of origin of sporadic and BRCA1-related ovarian cancer. To investigate if Ki-67 or p53 is altered in BRCA1 mutation carriers, we have studied the expression of these markers in morphologically normal mucosa in the fallopian tube and fimbriae.

Methods: Prophylactic adnexectomy specimens from 24 patients (eight BRCA1 mutation carriers, eight non-mutation carriers, and eight with unknown BRCA1 status), were scored by automated image analysis for the amount of Ki-67 and wild-type p53 expression.