TP53 and cancer: Missense mutations at codons 175, 248, and 273 constitute approximately 19% of all p53 genetic alterations, thus these codons are referred to as mutation hotspots, DNA base substitutions at which are prevalently seen in cancers of ovaries, pancreas, colon, and lungs24 (http://p53.free.fr/Database/p53_cancer/all_cancer.html).