Prognostic and predictive values of the immunoscore in patients with rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the tumor immune infiltrate, as recently evaluated with the Immunoscore methodology, could be a useful prognostic marker in patients with rectal cancers.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The influence of the immune infiltrate on patient's outcome was investigated in patients with or without preoperative chemoradiation therapy (pCRT). The density of total (CD3(+)) and cytotoxic (CD8(+)) T lymphocytes was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and quantified by a dedicated image analysis software in surgical specimens of patients with rectal cancer (n = 111) who did not receive pCRT and in tumor biopsies performed before pCRT from additional 55 patients. The results were correlated with tumor recurrence, patient's survival, and response to pCRT.

RESULTS: The densities of CD3(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes and the associated Immunoscore (from I0 to I4) were significantly correlated with differences in disease-free and overall survival (HR, 1.81 and 1.72, respectively; all P < 0.005). Cox multivariate analysis supports the advantage of the Immunoscore compared with the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging in predicting recurrence and survival (all P < 0.001). Lymph node ratio added information in a prognostic model (all P < 0.05). In addition, high infiltration of CD3(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes in tumor biopsies was associated with downstaging of the tumor after pCRT (CD3(+) cells; Fisher exact test P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: The Immunoscore could be a useful prognostic marker in patients with rectal cancer treated by primary surgery. The determination of the immune infiltrate in biopsies before treatment could be a valuable information for the prediction of response to pCRT.