CD8+ T cells infiltrate the tumor microenvironment, but therelationship between the levels of infiltration andprognosis is insufficient to influence therapeutic efficacy.Masugi et al. characterized the levels and distribution ofCD8+ T cells using multiplex immunohistochemistry-basedimage analysis in 214 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomasamples, focusing on the tumor center, the tumor margin,and the whole tumor. They correlated these measurementswith cancer-specific survival, adjusting for otherclinicopathologic and immune-related features. Whilethere was substantial heterogeneity in their data, theyidentified features and demonstrate patterns that showedsignificance. The association of higher CD8+ cell densitywith prolonged survival was significant for the wholetumor, stronger for the tumor center, and not significantfor the tumor margin. Thus, there seems to be validity toassessing the tumor immune microenvironment, but thetype of measurement is important.
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