AIM To study the prognostic significance of the p53 cDNA mutation and mutant p53 protein in colorectaladenocarcinomas.METHODS p53 cDNA mutaiton was detected with RT-PCR-SSCP, and mutant p53 protein overexpressionwas detected by PAb 240 monoclonal antibody in 100 cases of colorectal adenocarcinomas. The follow-upsurvey of all patients were done within the five years after operation, and comparing with p53 cDNAmutation and mutant p53 protein overexpression for the prognostic significance of colorectaladenocarcinomas. The data is treated with SPSS computer program, Kaplan-Meier Survival Plots werecalculated and analyzed by Log-rank analysis.RESULTS Fifty-one cases of p53 eDNA mutations (51%) were found with RT-PCR-SSCP and 76 cases ofmutant p53 protein overexpression (76%) found with PAb 240 monoclonal antibody immunohistochemistrystaining in 100 cases of colorectal adenocarcinomas. There are no relationship with Dukes stage in thestatistics in p53 eDNA mutation (mutation: Dukes A 9%, B 10%, C 20%, D 12%; No mutation: A 13%, B12%, C 12%, D 12%) and mutant p53 protein overexpression (positive: Dukes A 17%, B 6%, C 27%, D16%; negative: A 5%, B 6%, C 5%, D 8%) (P<0.05). Moreover, the data show p53 cDNA mutation isassociated with mutant p53 protein overexpression (both positive 49%, single positive 29%, both negative22%) (P<0.01), p53 eDNA mutation can provide prognostic information (p53 eDNA mutation positive:alive 35, dead 16; negative: alive 42, dead 7) (P<0.05), and mutant p53 protein overexpression isambiguous and does not assess prognosis (p53 protein overexpression positive: alive 58, dead 18; negative:alive 19, dead 5) (P = 0.72) with Kaplan-Meier Survival Plots and Log-rank analysis.CONCLUSION p53 eDNA mutation is associated with mutant p53 protein overexpression (p53 eDNAmutation and mutant p53 protein overexpression both positive 49%, single positive 29%, both negative 22%)(P<0.01) and p53 eDNA mutation can provide poor prognostic information, and is the biomarker of poorsurvival of colon cancer . However, mutant p53 protein overexpression could not predict prognosis and maybe effected by other multi-factors in colon cancer.