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Potential Immune Microenvironment Biomarkers in SCLC: J-TAIL-2 Observational Study
Masayuki Shirasawa1, Makoto Nishio2, Kadoaki Ohashi3
1Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
JTO Clinical and Research Reports
|March 5, 2026
Summary
High CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) density predicts better survival outcomes for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) patients treated with atezolizumab plus chemotherapy. This finding may help select patients for combination therapy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Biomarkers
Background:
- Predicting response to atezolizumab plus carboplatin/etoposide (CE) in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) is challenging.
- Identifying reliable biomarkers for atezolizumab combination therapy is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the association between CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) density and SCLC subtypes with survival outcomes.
- To identify potential biomarkers for predicting clinical benefit from atezolizumab plus CE therapy in ES-SCLC.
Main Methods:
- An exploratory analysis of the J-TAIL-2 observational study (NCT04501497) involving 100 ES-SCLC patients.
- Patients received atezolizumab plus carboplatin/etoposide (CE) in clinical practice.
- CD8+ TIL density and SCLC subtypes (SCLC-A, SCLC-N, SCLC-P, SCLC-O) were assessed via immunohistochemistry.
Main Results:
- Patients with high CD8+ TIL density showed significantly longer median progression-free survival (PFS) (6.1 vs. 4.4 months, p=0.01) and overall survival (OS) (18.4 vs. 10.8 months, p=0.04) compared to TIL-low subgroup.
- No significant differences in OS or PFS were observed between SCLC subtypes, although the SCLC-N subtype had numerically shorter survival.
- 56 patients were classified as TIL-high and 40 as TIL-low.
Conclusions:
- CD8+ TIL density serves as a potential biomarker for predicting clinical benefit in ES-SCLC patients.
- Measuring CD8+ TIL density may aid in patient selection for atezolizumab combination therapy.
