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Evaluating the correlation between pretreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte levels in nonluminal breast cancer and impact on survival

  • 0Department of Nuclear Medicine, Prof. Dr. Cemil Taşcıoğlu City Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Pathology Oncology Research : Por +

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January 22, 2025

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January 22, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) correlate with metabolic tumor features and heterogeneity in non-luminal breast cancer (NLBC). Lower TIL levels (<5) are linked to worse survival, highlighting their prognostic value.

Area Of Science

  • Oncology
  • Radiology
  • Immunology

Background

  • Non-luminal breast cancer (NLBC) presents unique challenges in predicting treatment response and prognosis.
  • Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) are immune cells within tumors, known to influence cancer progression.
  • <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT offers insights into tumor metabolism and heterogeneity.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To investigate the correlation between TIL levels and <sup>18</sup>F-FDG metabolic parameters in NLBC.
  • To assess the relationship between TIL, tumor heterogeneity, and survival outcomes.
  • To explore the prognostic significance of these factors in advanced NLBC.

Main Methods

  • Retrospective analysis of 100 female patients with stage 2-4 NLBC.
  • <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT imaging to calculate metabolic parameters (SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, TLG) and regional uptake.
  • TIL scoring from H&E slides and analysis of heterogeneity indices (HI1, HI2, HI3).

Main Results

  • TIL showed weak negative correlations with tumor size and stage.
  • TIL correlated positively with liver, spleen, and bone marrow uptake in stage 4 NLBC.
  • Higher tumor size, heterogeneity indices, and bone marrow-to-liver ratio SUVmean were associated with increased mortality.
  • A TIL cut-off of <5 indicated significantly worse survival.

Conclusions

  • TIL levels are associated with specific <sup>18</sup>F-FDG metabolic parameters and tumor heterogeneity in NLBC.
  • These factors, particularly TIL levels and heterogeneity, play a role in influencing survival outcomes.
  • Further validation in larger cohorts is warranted to confirm these findings.

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