Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40513524›Full record

ArticleTranslational oncology2025

Spatial heterogeneity of PD-L1 expression influence its assessment in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Boyao Yu, Cong Qi, Zhichao Liu, Ning Ma, Chenyang Tian, Yikang Wang, Chunguang Li, Zhigang Li

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Translational oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing 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

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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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Boyao YuDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Section of Esophageal Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
Cong QiDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Section of Esophageal Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
Zhichao LiuDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Section of Esophageal Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
Ning MaDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Section of Esophageal Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
Chenyang TianDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Section of Esophageal Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
Yikang WangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Section of Esophageal Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
Chunguang LiDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Section of Esophageal Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China. Electronic address: dr_lichunguang@163.com.
Zhigang LiDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Section of Esophageal Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China. Electronic address: zhigang.li@shsmu.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a promising treatment for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the predictive value of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, the most common biomarker for immunotherapy, remains controversial, particularly in the neoadjuvant setting. We hypothesized that the spatial heterogeneous of PD-L1 expression within tumors might render limited biopsy samples unrepresentative of the bulk tumor. In this study, we assessed the spatial heterogeneity in PD-L1 expression within ESCC by sampling four distinct regions using endoscopic biopsy forceps and the largest longitudinal sections on complete resected tumor from treatment-naïve patients. Our findings demonstrated the insufficiency of using limited biopsy tumor tissue to accurately determine the combined positive score (CPS) within the tumor. Notably, spatial heterogeneity was reduced when tumor's CPS was sufficiently high. Multi-region sampling assessment revealed that the maximum CPS derived from three regions provided a more accurate approximation of the bulk tumor's PD-L1 status. Additionally, the densities of CD8

Indexed as

Endoscopic biopsyEsophageal squamous cell carcinomaImmunotherapyPD-L1Spatial heterogeneity

Identifiers

PMID40513524
PMCPMC12205590

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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.