Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes favor the response to chemoradiotherapy of head and neck cancer

Panagiotis Balermpas; Franz Rödel; Christian Weiss; Claus Rödel; Emmanouil Fokas

doi:10.4161/onci.27403

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes favor the response to chemoradiotherapy of head and neck cancer

Oncoimmunology. 2014 Jan 1;3(1):e27403. doi: 10.4161/onci.27403.

Authors

Panagiotis Balermpas¹, Franz Rödel¹, Christian Weiss¹, Claus Rödel¹, Emmanouil Fokas¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Radiation Therapy and Oncology; Johann Wolfgang Goethe University; Frankfurt, Germany.

Abstract

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) play an important role in the response of neoplastic lesions to therapy. We have recently shown that a robust tumor infiltration by CD3⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells correlates with improved disease outcome upon definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer, in a manner that is influenced by tumor compartment and human papilloma virus status. Our data highlight the prognostic and therapeutic relevance of TILs in head and neck cancer.

Keywords: HPV; head and neck cancer; prognostic value; radiotherapy; tumor infiltrating lymphocytes.