CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are immune cells that play a key role in the body’s response to cancer. As a result, they have been used across oncology to help assess the severity of patients’ cancer and predict who will respond to other treatments. However, this tool has not been widely adopted for head and neck cancer, in large part due to the disjointed nature of current data.
Kevin J. Contrera, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, is lead author on a study soon-to-be published in JCO Precision Oncology that summarizes current clinical trials and large-scale studies known as meta-analyses. Other authors from the Department include Matthew E. Spector, MD; Shaum S. Sridharan, MD; Seungwon Kim, MD; Heath D. Skinner, MD, PhD; and José P. Zevallos, MD, MPH, FACS.
“We found that when patients had elevated CD8+ TILs, they were more likely to live longer, regardless of the location of their cancer,” Dr. Contrera said. “While less consistent, CD8+ TILs have also been found to predict which patients are going to benefit from treatment—most commonly immunotherapy, but also chemoradiation.
Ultimately, more research is needed before CD8+ TILs should be used for all patients. Namely, clinical validation and universal measurement guidelines will help bring CD8+ TILs into the mainstream. Nevertheless, CD8+ TILs is a promising biomarker to help personalize head and neck cancer care.”