CD8⁺ TILs in necrotic tumors after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy predict outcomes in non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

ABSTRACT: Neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy has shown promising results, with major pathologic response (MPR, ≤10% residual viable tumors [RVT]) as the primary outcome. However, %RVT showed limited predictive power in stratifying outcomes within the MPR and non-MPR groups. To identify a better prognostic marker, this study analyzed 200 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) samples after neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade combined with chemotherapy across three medical centers. Among these patients, 99 had necrotic regions in their residual lesions. We found that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in necrotic areas (nTILs) lose their cellular structure, but retained T-cell-specific antigens, making them detectable by immunohistochemistry. Regardless of PD-L1 status or lymph node metastasis, patients with high CD8⁺

SUBMITTER: Lin H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12508027 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature