IMMUNOlogical microenvironment in REctal Adenocarcinoma Treatment (IMMUNOREACT) 5: preliminary results on gender difference in immune microenvironment of rectal cancer

Abstract

Background: Immune microenvironment play a role in rectal cancer outcome. In early rectal cancers the absence of CD8+ T-cell infiltration can predict nodal involvement and a low stromal Foxp3(+) cell density was observed in those who had a pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant therapy. The immune microenvironment may be influenced by gender. The signaling governed by IFN type I has emerged as pivotal in orchestrating host defense against cancer and this pathway displays different activation between sexes.