The immune phenotype of tongue squamous cell carcinoma predicts early relapse and poor prognosis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue (OTSCC), current tumor node metastasis staging system fails to identify at-risk patients associated with early relapse and poor prognosis despite complete surgical resection. Given the importance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in the development of cancers, here we investigated the prognostic significance of the immune phenotype in OTSCC. METHODS: Hematoxylin-eosin stained sections of OTSCCs from 211 patients were evaluated. Cancers were classified as (a) immune-inflamed when TILs were found next to tumor cell nests; (b) immune-excluded when TILs were found in the stroma, outside the tumor; and (c) immune-deser..