Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes as a Prognostic Factor in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

High levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have long been thought to reflect an intact antitumor immune response. Higher TIL levels have been associated with better survival after adjuvant chemotherapy and a higher pathologic complete remission rate after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Results from small studies have suggested a link between high TIL levels and survival even without systemic therapy. Now, researchers have conducted an international, retrospective, pooled analysis of individual patient-level data for almost 2000 patients (median age, 56) with early-stage, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Among these patients, 60% had T1 lesions, 87% had node-negative disease, and 55% had stage 1 disease (T1cN0 tumors, 65%). No patie…