Prognostic Effect of Epithelial and Stromal Lymphocyte Infiltration in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

PURPOSE: The major value of prognostic markers in potentially curable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) should be to guide therapy after surgical resection. In this regard, the patients' immune status at the time of resection may be important and also measurable. The immune system has paradoxical roles during cancer development. However, the prognostic significance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes is controversial. The aim of this study is to elucidate the prognostic significance of epithelial and stromal lymphocyte infiltration in NSCLC. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Tissue microarrays from 335 resected NSCLC, stage I to IIIA were constructed from duplicate cores of viable and representative neoplastic epithelial…