Effector Memory T Cells, Early Metastasis, and Survival in Colorectal Cancer

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 353; no. 25; pp. 2654 - 2666
• Main Authors: Pagès, Franck, Berger, Anne, Camus, Matthieu, Sanchez-Cabo, Fatima, Costes, Anne, Molidor, Robert, Mlecnik, Bernhard, Kirilovsky, Amos, Nilsson, Malin, Damotte, Diane, Meatchi, Tchao, Bruneval, Patrick, Cugnenc, Paul-Henri, Trajanoski, Zlatko, Fridman, Wolf-Herman, Galon, Jérôme
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA Massachusetts Medical Society 22.12.2005
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - physiology; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal Neoplasms - genetics; Colorectal Neoplasms - immunology; Colorectal Neoplasms - mortality; Colorectal Neoplasms - secondary; Embolism - etiology; Flow Cytometry; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gene Expression; General aspects; Humans; Immune system; Leukocyte Common Antigens; Lymphatic Metastasis - immunology; Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating - physiology; Medical sciences; Microarray Analysis; Neoplasm Invasiveness - immunology; Neoplasm Metastasis - immunology; Neoplasm Staging; Patients; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Proportional Hazards Models; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 1; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Survival Analysis; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - physiology; Tumors; Effectory cell; Rectal disease; Colorectal cancer; Malignant tumor; Metastasis; Survival; Memory lymphocyte; Colonic disease; Medicine; T-Lymphocyte; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Early
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa051424

In this study of patients with colorectal cancer, pathological signs of early metastatic invasion augured a poor prognosis, whereas the absence of these signs was associated with a good prognosis. Patients whose tumors had no signs of early metastatic invasion had evidence of a T-cell–driven immune response. Patients with colorectal cancer whose tumors had no signs of early metastatic invasion had evidence of a T-cell–driven immune response. Accumulating evidence suggests that tumor progression is governed not only by genetic changes intrinsic to cancer cells 1 but also by epigenetic and environmental factors. Inflammation is also a factor, and there is experimental evidence to support the idea that the innate immune system can promote tumor development through inflammation-dependent mechanisms. 2 , 3 Recently, increased production of inflammatory mediators, including tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), by stromal cells was found during cancer progression in mouse models of colorectal cancer. 4 – 6 These results are consistent with the association between an increased number of inflammatory cells in tumors and tumor progression. 7 – 10 By contrast, . . .