Abstract

High level of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can predict the rate of total pathological complete remission (tpCR) of breast cancer patients who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). This study focused on evaluating the data of patients whose primary tumor and/or lymph node metastasis show nonresponse (NR) to NACT, trying to provide a basis for the clinical decision which patients will develop NACT resistance. The study included breast cancers from 991 patients who received NACT. ROC curve analysis confirmed that TILs showed significant predictive value for NR of hormone receptor (HR)+HER2− and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Among HR+HER2− breast cancer, TILs ≥ 10% was an independent predictor for low NR rate. Furthermore, positive correlation of TILs with Ki67 index and Miller-Payne grade, and negative correlation with ER and PR H-scores were only identified in this subgroup. In TNBC, TILs ≥ 17.5% was an independent predictor for low NR rate. The predictive value of low TILs on NR may facilitate to screen patients with HR+HER2− or TNBC who may not benefit from NACT. HR+HER2− breast cancer with low levels of TILs should be carefully treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and other alternatives such as neoadjuvant endocrine therapy can be considered.

Details

Title
Effects of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes on nonresponse rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with invasive breast cancer
Author
Qian, Xiao-Long 1 ; Xia, Xiao-Qing 1 ; Li, Ya-Qing 1 ; Jia, Yu-Mian 1 ; Sun, Yuan-Yuan 1 ; Song, Yuan-Ming 1 ; Xue, Hui-Qin 1 ; Hao, Yan-Fei 1 ; Wang, Jin 1 ; Wang, Xiao-Zi 1 ; Liu, Chen-Ying 1 ; Zhang, Xin-Min 2 ; Zhang, Li-Na 3 ; Guo, Xiao-Jing 1 

 Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, National Human Genetic Resource Sharing Service Platform, Department of Breast Pathology and Lab, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China (GRID:grid.265021.2) (ISNI:0000 0000 9792 1228) 
 Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Department of Pathology, Camden, USA (GRID:grid.411897.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 6070 865X) 
 Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, National Human Genetic Resource Sharing Service Platform, The Second Surgical Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center of Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China (GRID:grid.265021.2) (ISNI:0000 0000 9792 1228) 
Pages
9256
Publication year
2023
Publication date
2023
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2826831006
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2023. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.