The Immune Microenvironment in Breast Carcinoma: Predictive and Prognostic Role in the Neoadjuvant Setting

Abstract

The prognostic value of the immune cell infiltrate in the breast carcinoma microenvironment is still uncertain. We reviewed published articles analysing the infiltration of inflammatorycells in the microenvironment of breast carcinoma. Data revealed the importance of infiltration of these immune cells in the prognosis of breast carcinoma, particularly the triple-negative and HER2-positive phenotypes. Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes and their subtypes play a fundamental role in predicting the pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. More research aiming to dissect a complex network of communication between cancer cells and other cellular components of the tumour microenvironment is necessary to develop more effective therapeutic approaches.