Published in:
01-12-2019 | ASO Author Reflections
ASO Author Reflections: Can the Association Between Obesity and Colorectal Cancer Be Explained by an Unfavorable Tumor Immune Microenvironment?
Authors:
Devin C. Flaherty, DO, PhD, FACOS, FACS, Anton J. Bilchik, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS
Published in:
Annals of Surgical Oncology
|
Special Issue 3/2019
Login to get access
Excerpt
The obesity epidemic is a worldwide medical issue that harbors oncologic implications we are only beginning to understand. The relationship between obesity and increased risk of colorectal cancer is well-established, and the development of malignancy may be associated with tumor microsatellite instability status.
1 The presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in colon cancer is indicative of a host immune response, and improved outcomes have been demonstrated in tumors harboring increased levels of cytotoxic T cells.
2 An inverse relationship between patient body mass index (BMI) and the presence of TIL was revealed unexpectedly in a pilot study examining the relationship of distinct TIL subpopulations with disease prognosis.
3 The current study aimed to further investigate the relationship between colon cancer, patient BMI, and the tumor immunophenotype, utilizing data from a prospective trial evaluating nodal ultrastaging for colon cancer. This relationship was then correlated with tumor mismatch repair (MMR) status. …
