Accordingly, in the present trial, subgroup analysis showed that patients with p53−/BSI high tumours were less likely to experience relapse or death than those harbouring p53+/BSI high lesions (5-year DFS 80.7 vs 61.9 months, P=0.03; 5-year OS 80.8 vs 70.9 months, P=0.07, respectively), suggesting a positive association between an intact p53/BAX pathway and clinical outcome. This evidence concerns the gene BAX and neoplasm.