Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41681878›Full record

ArticleCancers2026

Tumor-Associated Neutrophils and Desmoplastic Reaction in Breast Cancer Microenvironment: Association with Tumor Grade and Clinicopathological Features.

Stavroula Papadopoulou, Vasiliki Michou, Arsenios Tsiotsias, Maria Tzitiridou-Chatzopoulou, Panagiotis Eskitzis

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancers, 2026. 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. Review
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

5 authors.

Stavroula PapadopoulouDepartment of Midwifery, School of Healthcare Sciences, University of Western Macedonia, Keptse, 50200 Ptolemaida, Greece.
Vasiliki MichouDepartment of Midwifery, School of Healthcare Sciences, University of Western Macedonia, Keptse, 50200 Ptolemaida, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-7097-2927
Arsenios TsiotsiasDepartment of Midwifery, School of Healthcare Sciences, University of Western Macedonia, Keptse, 50200 Ptolemaida, Greece.
Maria Tzitiridou-ChatzopoulouDepartment of Midwifery, School of Healthcare Sciences, University of Western Macedonia, Keptse, 50200 Ptolemaida, Greece.ORCID 0000-0001-6051-0860
Panagiotis EskitzisDepartment of Midwifery, School of Healthcare Sciences, University of Western Macedonia, Keptse, 50200 Ptolemaida, Greece.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe tumor microenvironment (TME), composed of diverse immune and stromal cells, plays a key role in cancer progression. Among its components, tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) and the desmoplastic reaction (DR) have emerged as important modulators of tumor behavior. While each has been extensively studied, their interrelationship and association with tumor grade and clinicopathological parameters remain unclear.

aimThis hypothesis-generating study aimed to explore the relationship between the presence of TANs, various types of DR, the grade of tumor malignancy, and other fundamental clinicopathological characteristics commonly studied in daily clinical practice. MATERIALS AND

methodsThe study included a cohort of 65 cancer patients (N = 65). The average number of TANs was recorded. In hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained sections, "hot spots" representing areas with the highest neutrophil density were first identified. The tumor-associated polymorphonuclear neutrophils were then counted in ten consecutive high-power fields (HPFs). In the same specimens, the DR was assessed and classified according to stromal texture.

resultsTANs did not follow a normal distribution across any clinicopathological category (

conclusionsHigh TAN levels were linked to aggressive tumor features and specific DR patterns. The association of myxoid stroma with elevated TAN infiltration may reflect a highly aggressive TME. These preliminary results warrant validation in larger, prospective studies.

Indexed as

breast cancerclinicopathological featuresdesmoplastic reactionextracellular matrixprognosistumor-associated neutrophils (TANs)tumor gradetumor microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID41681878
PMCPMC12897329

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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.