Multiple lines of evidence indicate that quantification of immune cell infiltrates in primary prostate cancer can predict outcomes after radical prostatectomy, including biochemical recurrence, metastasis, and death from prostate cancer. In a recent issue of The Journal of Pathology, Andersen et al. explored the predictive value of cancer tissue infiltration of seven immune cell types (mast cells, M1 macrophages, M2 macrophages, B-cells, T-helper cells, cytotoxic T-cells, and regulatory T-cells) in association with biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy. In addition to reporting a potential association between cancer-infiltrating regulatory T-cells and M1 and M2 macrophages and biochemical recurrence, the study also highlights the use of multiplex digital pathology analyses to assess adverse predictors of prostate cancer outcomes.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.