TP53 and gastric cancer: p53 participates in apoptotic pathways following treatment with DNA-damaging agents such as cisplatin (Ikeguchi et al, 1997; Satomi et al, 2002; Matsuhashi et al, 2004), and inactivation of the p53 gene contributes to the resistance to anticancer agents in several cell lines, including gastric cancer (Nabeya et al, 1995; Harris, 1996).