We investigated the prognostic value of p53 mutation type for 145 soft tissue sarcoma patients. In a PCR-SSCP-sequencing analysis, 15 mutations were identified: 10 non-frameshift (non-fs) and 5 frameshift (fs) mutations. Patients possessing non-fs mutations had a significantly poorer prognosis than patients without p53 mutations (P = 0.014), according to Cox's multivariate analysis. In contrast, the survival of five patients with fs mutations was not affected by their mutation type. Furthermore, occurrence of lymph node metastases and recurrences was correlated with the mutation type; i.e., 4 of 10 and 5 of 10 patients with non-fs mutations showed lymph node metastases and recurrences, respectively, whereas none of the patients with fs mutations showed lymph node metastases and only one a recurrence. Therefore, for the evaluation of prognosis, we suggest applying not the p53 mutational status in general, but the specific type of mutation.