Type, Density, and Location of Immune Cells Within Human Colorectal Tumors Predict Clinical Outcome

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 313; no. 5795; pp. 1960 - 1964
• Main Authors: Galon, Jérôme, Costes, Anne, Sanchez-Cabo, Fatima, Kirilovsky, Amos, Mlecnik, Bernhard, Lagorce-Pagès, Christine, Tosolini, Marie, Camus, Matthieu, Berger, Anne, Wind, Philippe, Zinzindohoué, Franck, Bruneval, Patrick, Cugnenc, Paul-Henri, Trajanoski, Zlatko, Fridman, Wolf-Herman, Pagès, Franck
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 29.09.2006; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Adaptive immunity; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer; CD3 Complex - analysis; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Cell lines; Cells; Clinical outcomes; Cohort Studies; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal Neoplasms - genetics; Colorectal Neoplasms - immunology; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Density; Disease free survival; Disease Progression; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gene Expression Profiling; Genes; Health outcomes; Humans; Hypotheses; Immunohistochemistry; Immunologic Memory; Immunology; Leukocyte Common Antigens - analysis; Lymphatic Metastasis; Lymphocyte Count; Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating - immunology; Male; Medical sciences; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - immunology; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - prevention & control; Neoplasm Staging; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; P values; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prognosis; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Survival Analysis; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; Th1 Cells - immunology; Tumors; Colonic disease; Human; Rectal disease; Cancerology; Prognosis; Immune response; Acquired immunity; Colorectal cancer; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte; Malignant tumor
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1129139

The role of the adaptive immune response in controlling the growth and recurrence of human tumors has been controversial. We characterized the tumor-infiltrating immune cells in large cohorts of human colorectal cancers by gene expression profiling and in situ immunohistochemical staining. Collectively, the immunological data (the type, density, and location of immune cells within the tumor samples) were found to be a better predictor of patient survival than the histopathological methods currently used to stage colorectal cancer. The results were validated in two additional patient populations. These data support the hypothesis that the adaptive immune response influences the behavior of human tumors. In situ analysis of tumor-infiltrating immune cells may therefore be a valuable prognostic tool in the treatment of colorectal cancer and possibly other malignancies.