A role of genetic alterations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene has been implicated in many types of human malignancies. In this study, we examined the prevalence of immunohistochemically detectable p53 accumulation in prostatic tissues obtained from patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma, benign prostate hyperplasia and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasms. Six of 36 (16.7%) cancer cases and 2 of 11 (18.2%) cases of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasms showed p53 expression while no nuclear staining was observed in normal and hyperplastic prostatic tissues. Correlation of p53 expression with cancer stage, Gleason score and serum prostate-specific antigen level demonstrated that there was no statistically significant relationship between p53 expression and these clinicopathological parameters. Also, no significant association between p53 expression and prognosis was observed.