CELL INTELLIGENCE · 肿瘤细胞治疗研究

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is experiencing a rising incidence and mortality worldwide, emphasizing the need for reliable prognostic markers. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have emerged as a promising biomarker for predicting HNSCC prognosis, yet no systematic reviews have exclusively focused on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples, which are routinely used in clinical practice.

This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the PRISMA guidelines to examine the prognostic value of TILs in HNSCC using H&E-stained FFPE samples. Data were pooled from 43 studies, including 26 studies in a meta-analysis, analyzing 5037 HNSCC samples.

We found that a high TIL count associated with a significantly improved overall survival (OS) (HR 0. 47, 95 % CI 0. 41-0. 55, p < 0. 0001), disease-free survival (DFS) (HR 0. 55, 95 % CI 0. 41-0. 55, p < 0. 0001), and disease-specific survival (DSS) (HR 0. 58, 95 % CI 0. 46-0. 73, p < 0. 0001).

The heterogeneity was moderate for the pooled analysis (OS: I = 40 %; DFS: I = 39 %; DSS: I = 51 %), but low for the subgroup analysis based on tumor site in oral, oropharyngeal, laryngeal, and nasopharyngeal cancer (OS and DFS: I = 0-14 %). This review is the first to systematically evaluate TILs in HNSCC using H&E-stained samples, confirming their prognostic value. A high TIL count is associated with improved survival outcomes, suggesting their potential as prognostic biomarkers in clinical settings.