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Clinical Impact of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

  • Translational Research and Biomarkers
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Recently, several immune checkpoint inhibitors have been developed and are being used to treat malignant melanoma, lung cancer, and other cancers. Several reports have indicated that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are associated with clinical and histopathologic risk factors in various cancers. However, the role of TILs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been well studied. This study aimed to investigate the perilesional status of TILs in ESCC and to show associations between TILs and clinical variables.

Methods

The study enrolled 277 ESCC patients. Evaluation of TILs was performed according to the criteria of the International TILs Working Group 2014, and associations between TIL and clinicopathologic variables were examined.

Results

Most of the clinicopathologic factors were not statistically associated with TIL status. The number of patients who received adjuvant therapy was significantly larger in the TIL-negative group. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) of patients in the TIL-positive group was significantly better than in the TIL-negative group. Among the patients who received adjuvant therapy, CSS was significantly better in the TIL-positive group than in the TIL-negative group. Uni- and multivariate analyses identified tumor depth and TIL status as independent prognostic factors for CSS. Among the other clinicopathologic variables, TIL status was the strongest CSS indicator.

Conclusion

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte status is a strong predictor of good prognosis for ESCC patients.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported in part by the following Grants and foundations: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research: 16K07130. We thank Ms. Harumi Otsu and Ms. Atsuko Matsuo for construction of prepared slides for H&E staining.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka prefecture, Japan

    Tomoya Sudo MD, PhD, Ryosuke Nishida MD, Kouhei Saisho MD, Kazutaka Kadoya MD, Satoru Matono MD, PhD, Naoki Mori MD, PhD, Toshiaki Tanaka MD, PhD & Yoshito Akagi MD, PhD

  2. Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan

    Tomoya Sudo MD, PhD & Kouhei Saisho MD

  3. Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Kurume University Hospital, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan

    Akihiko Kawahara PhD & Akira Yamada PhD

  4. Department of Surgery Tsurumihira 4546, Kyushu University, Beppu Hospital, Beppu, Oita, Japan

    Koshi Mimori MD, PhD

  5. Department of Immunology, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan

    Atsuhi Mizoguchi MD, PhD

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  1. Tomoya Sudo MD, PhD
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  2. Ryosuke Nishida MD
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  9. Satoru Matono MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tomoya Sudo MD, PhD.

Electronic supplementary material

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Supplementary Table 1 (DOCX 17 kb)

10434_2017_5796_MOESM2_ESM.pptx

Chi-squared test between TIL and pathological disease staging. A p-value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Supplementary Figure 1 (PPTX 40 kb)

10434_2017_5796_MOESM3_ESM.pptx

Cancer specific survival (CSS) comparison by TIL status. Differences in CSS were assessedusing the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Comparison of CSS in patients who received neoadjuvant therapy. A p-value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Supplementary Figure 2 (PPTX 41 kb)

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Sudo, T., Nishida, R., Kawahara, A. et al. Clinical Impact of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol 24, 3763–3770 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-017-5796-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-017-5796-4

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