p53 protein accumulation, cancer multiplicity, and aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 genotype in Japanese alcoholic men with early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Synchronous multiple intra-esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) or oropharyngolaryngeal SCCs are common in alcoholics with esophageal SCC, and more frequently found in those with inactive heterozygous aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2). p53 alterations have been suspected as key molecular events in such multifocal esophageal carcinogenesis. We studied 95 Japanese alcoholic men with Tis and mucosal invasive esophageal SCC and found very high levels of p53 protein accumulation occurring in early esophageal SCC. Synchronous cancer multiplicity in the upper aerodigestive tract was found in 40 patients. p53 expression was not correlated with either cancer multiplicity or ALDH2 genotype. The risk for cancer multiplicity was associated with inactive heterozygous ALDH2 alone (OR = 4.22) among the risk factors investigated, which also included smoking, less-active alcohol dehydrogenase-1B, and macrocytosis, enhancing the validity of the link between acetaldehyde exposure and cancer multiplicity.