Abstract
PURPOSE: The role played by the innate immune system in determining survival from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of macrophage and mast-cell infiltration in NSCLC.
METHODS: We used immunohistochemistry to identify tryptase+ mast cells and CD68+ macrophages in the tumor stroma and tumor islets in 175 patients with surgically resected NSCLC.
RESULTS: 5-year survival was 52.9% in patients with an islet macrophage density greater than the median versus 7.7% when less than the median (P < .0001). In the same groups, respectively, median survival was 2,244 versus 334 days (P < .0001). Patients with a high islet macrophage density but incomplete resection survived markedly longer than patients with a low islet macrophage density but complete resection.
CONCLUSION: The tumor islet CD68+ macrophage density is a powerful independent predictor of survival from surgically resected NSCLC. The biologic explanation for this and its implications for the use of adjunctive treatment requires further study.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 8959-67 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Clinical Oncology |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 35 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 10 Dec 2005 |
Keywords
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology
- Chi-Square Distribution
- Female
- Humans
- Immunohistochemistry
- Lung Neoplasms/pathology
- Macrophages/pathology
- Male
- Mast Cells/pathology
- Middle Aged
- Prognosis
- Proportional Hazards Models
- Survival Analysis
