Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40045701›Full record

ArticleHead & neck2025

Combined Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes and PD-L1 Status in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Catherine T Haring, Joshua D Smith, Sarah M Dermody, Jonathan B McHugh, William R Perry, Collin Brummel, Matthew E Spector, J Chad Brenner, Paul L Swiecicki

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Head & neck, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Catherine T HaringDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9317-6536
Joshua D SmithDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2076-7589
Sarah M DermodyDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Jonathan B McHughDepartment of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
William R PerryDepartment of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Collin BrummelDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Matthew E SpectorDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7646-6075
J Chad BrennerDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Paul L SwiecickiDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2286-3555

Funding

XenograftP30CA046592 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Alexey I Nesvizhskii · 1988 to 2026
$178.2M
Robust Immuno-prevention Strategies for High-Risk Oral Epithelial DysplasiaU01DE029255 · NIDCR · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI BRENNER, JOHN CHADWICK, LEI, YU LEO · 2019 to 2021
$4.2M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA046592NIDCR NIH HHS U01 DE029255NIH HHS U01-DE029255-01University of Michigan NIH/NCI P3O CA046592
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo determine if the assessment of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) adds prognostic information to the PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) in recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

methodsA retrospective case series was performed of 77 patients with R/M HNSCC between 2003 and 2019. From pre-treatment biopsies, CD8+ TILs and PD-L1 CPS were quantified on a tissue microarray. Associations of biomarkers with overall survival and immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) response were assessed.

resultsNeither CD8+ TIL counts nor PD-L1 CPS alone were associated with overall survival; however, combined high TILs and CPS ≥ 1 were associated with improved survival compared to low TILS and CPS < 1 (18.5 vs. 10.0 months, p = 0.058). For patients treated with ICI (n = 28), PD-L1 CPS predicted ICI response more strongly than CD8+ TILs.

conclusionsIn R/M HNSCC, the combination of PD-L1 CPS and CD8+ TILs is a stronger prognostic biomarker for overall survival compared with either biomarker alone.

Indexed as

B7-H1 AntigenHead and Neck NeoplasmsLymphocytes, Tumor-InfiltratingNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBiomarkers, TumorCD8-Positive T-LymphocytesFemaleHumansImmune Checkpoint InhibitorsMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisB7-H1 AntigenBiomarkers, TumorCD274 protein, humanImmune Checkpoint Inhibitorsbiomarkershuman papillomavirus virusesimmune checkpoint inhibitorssquamous cell carcinoma of head and necktumor microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID40045701
PMCPMC12248272

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.