Paraffin embebbed tumour tissues from 47 T1-2 N0-1 M0 primary oral squamous carcinoma have been utilized for immunohistochemical analysis of p53 expression (moab DO-7) and microvessel density (MVD) analysis (moab CD34). Fifty percent of cases showed p53 immunostaining with an average of 21% of p53 positive cells. A strong trend for a longer survival in patients with tumor p53- versus p53+ was evidenced (median survival: 12 months versus not reached, respectively; p=0.08 by log-rank test). A mean value of 27 MVD was found. The probability of overall survival did not result significantly different in the subgroups of tumours with high and low MVD (median survival: 6 months versus 6 months, respectively; p=0.24). Cox multivariate analysis confirmed that the only prognostic factor significantly related to the overall survival was clinical nodal status (O.R.=2.7; 95% C.I. 1.09-6.9), while p53 status only approached the statistical significance (O.R.=2.5; 95% C.I. 0.96-6.5; p=0.06).