Photo Credit: Rasi Bhadramani
A recent study published online in Cancer Research examined the tumor microenvironment (TME) in biliary tract cancer (BTC), focusing on how infiltrating immune cells impact prognosis.
Researchers analyzed data from 130 patients who underwent surgical treatment for BTC. They also evaluated CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, FOXP3+ T cells, and CD68+ macrophages around tumor cells through immunohistochemistry.
Immunoscore was based on immune cell infiltration status.
Results showed that patients with a high Immunoscore exhibited significantly better overall survival and recurrence-free survival compared with those with a low Immunoscore. Additionally, low Immunoscore, lymph node or distant metastasis, and high serum CA19-9 levels were identified as independent prognostic factors. The researchers found that a high preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) correlated with fewer infiltrating CD8+ T cells in the TME, suggesting NLR’s potential as a predictor for tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.
