In a nutshell
This study looked at the usefulness of measuring the levels of a certain type of white blood cell in cancer tissue as a method of predicting the progression of rectal cancer.
Some background
Neoadjuvant therapy is when patients are given an initial treatment before their main cancer treatment. For example, radiotherapy, which uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells by damaging their DNA. This is a common treatment for patients with rectal cancer that has started to spread from its original site to nearby tissues or lymph nodes.
The amount of a specific white blood cells in your cancer tissue, CD45RO+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), has been reported to be a good predictor of how rectal cancer might progress. The usefulness of the levels of these cells has not been proven in patients who have received radiotherapy.
Methods & findings
185 rectal cancer patients were included in this study. Following radiotherapy, the levels of CD45RO+ TILs in the tumors was measured. Patients were then divided into two groups. Group A had a high numbers of TILs and Group B had a low number.
Patients then received surgery to remove their cancer and chemotherapy after surgery. Patients were followed every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for the next 3 years.
Overall, the the cancer had shrunk in 36.2% of patients. 46.2% of patients in group A had their tumors shrink compared to 26.6% of group B.
Disease-free survival is the length of time after primary treatment for a cancer ends that the patient survives without any signs or symptoms of that cancer. 89% of patients in Group A had a 3- year disease-free survival rate, compared to 68.1% in Group B.
Patients in Group A had less advanced cancer compared to group B.
The bottom line
This study concluded that the levels of TILs following radiotherapy can be useful in predicting the response of cancer to treatment and the long term survival outcomes for patients with rectal cancer.
What’s next?
Discuss with your doctor whether measuring the levels of specific TILs would be useful for your situation.
Published By :
International Journal of Colorectal Disease
Date :
May 03, 2015
