The Role of Stromal Tumour Infiltrating Lymphocytes (sTIL) Intensity and Programmed Death Ligand 1 () Expression in Breast Cancer Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (CMH), Indonesia

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

Department of Anatomic Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia (FMUI)-Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (CMH), Jakarta, Indonesia.

Abstract

Background: Pathological responses to neoadjuvant therapy were still relatively poor, especially in CMH. Studies had been done to search for predictors of response such as sTIL intensity and  expression, which is known to block sTIL action in killing cancer cells. This research assessed sTIL intensity and  expression as predictors of response to neoadjuvant therapy in breast cancer. The preliminary data might be used to better tailored breast cancer patient therapy, considering the availability of anti-PD-1/ PD- L1 immunotherapy nowadays. Objective: To assess TIL intensity,  expressions, and their roles as pathological predictors of breast cancer response to neoadjuvant therapy in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (CMH). Method: This was an observational analytic retrospective cohort study on breast cancer patients undergoing biopsy/review of biopsy specimens, receiving neoadjuvant therapy and mastectomy in CMH from January 2014 to December 2021. Sixty cases fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Total sampling was done.   expression (immunohistochemistry, clone 22C3) and sTIL intensity (histopathology) was examined in the biopsy specimen. Linear regression analysis was done to determine the independent predictors of neoadjuvant therapy response (evaluated in the mastectomy specimen with residual cancer burden/ RCB score). Results: There were 60 female patients, median age 46 years old. 91,7% had invasive carcinoma of no special type. Median sTIL intensity was 10% (1%-70%). 58,3% patients had low sTIL intensity (≤10%). 28,3% patients had positive  expression (CPS ≥1). Only 8,3% patients had pCR, while 90% patients had RCB class II-III. Every 1% increase in sTIL intensity, no lymphovascular invasion, and taxane chemotherapy were predicted to lower RCB score by 0,058, 0,781, dan 0,594, respectively.  expression associated with pCR-RCB class I (p=0,048), but CPS score was not a predictor of RCB score in linear regression analysis. Conslusion: sTIL intensity was an independent predictor of breast cancer response to neoadjuvant therapy in RSCM.  expression associated with pCR-RCB class I, but CPS score was not a predictor of RCB score. 

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