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T Cell Infiltrate Predicts Long-Term Survival Following Resection of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases

  • Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumors
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

While tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) have been shown to independently predict survival in primary colorectal cancer, the prognostic implications of TIL in resectable colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM) have not been previously defined. This study examines the correlation between TIL numbers and survival following hepatic resection.

Methods

We studied patients who survived ≤2 or ≥10 years following CRCLM resection. Immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue microarrays (TMAs) to determine the number of T cells within CRCLM. Correlation between TIL frequency and ≤2 or ≥10 year survival was determined while controlling for established prognostic factors.

Results

Of 162 patients, 104 survived ≤2 years and 58 survived ≥10 years. Independent correlates of 10-year survival following CRCLM resection included a high number of CD8 T cells, a low number of CD4 T cells, and a clinical risk score of ≤2 (P < 0.001). Among 10-year survivors, 31% of patients had a high number of CD8 T cells compared with 8% for ≤2 year survivors (P < 0.01). Surprisingly, only 22% of 10-year survivors had a high number of CD4 T cells, in contrast to 69% of those who died within 2 years (P < 0.001). The combination of CD8 and CD4 T cell counts was a more powerful predictor of survival than either marker alone.

Conclusions

CRCLM T cell number is an independent correlate of long-term survival following liver resection. We conclude that CRCLM TIL analysis represents a potentially powerful prognostic tool which will require further validation prior to broad application.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hepatopancreatobiliary Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Steven C. Katz MD, Venu Pillarisetty MD, Zubin M. Bamboat MD, William Jarnagin MD, Yuman Fong MD, Leslie Blumgart MD, Michael D’Angelica MD & Ronald P. DeMatteo MD

  2. Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Jinru Shia MD & Cyrus Hedvat MD

  3. Department of Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Mithat Gonen PhD

Authors
  1. Steven C. Katz MD
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  2. Venu Pillarisetty MD
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  3. Zubin M. Bamboat MD
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  4. Jinru Shia MD
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  11. Ronald P. DeMatteo MD
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Correspondence to Ronald P. DeMatteo MD.

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Katz, S.C., Pillarisetty, V., Bamboat, Z.M. et al. T Cell Infiltrate Predicts Long-Term Survival Following Resection of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases. Ann Surg Oncol 16, 2524–2530 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-009-0585-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-009-0585-3

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