Prognostic value of tumor–stroma ratio combined with the immune status of tumors in invasive breast carcinoma

Abstract

Purpose Complex interactions occur between cancer cells and cells in the tumor microenvironment. In this study, the prognostic value of the interplay between tumor–stroma ratio (TSR) and the immune status of tumors in breast cancer patients was evaluated. Methods A cohort of 574 breast cancer patients was analyzed. The percentage of tumor stroma was visually estimated on Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stained histological tumor tissue sections. Immunohistochemical staining was performed for classical human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I, HLA-E, HLA-G, markers for regulatory T (Treg) cells, natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs). Results TSR (P