Tissue Infiltrating Immune Cells and Endometrial Cancer Prognosis

Abstract

The number of patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer surpasses that of any other gynaecological cancer. This disease is usually detected early after disease onset and with current therapy 80 percent of patients with early-stage disease reach a five-year survival milestone. However, patients with advanced or recurrent disease have a grim outcome and the five-year survival rate for these patients is only about 16 percent. In several cancer types there is accumulating evidence that immune cells play a crucial role in the initiation, progression and outcome of disease. In order to provide novel and effective immunotherapeutic treatments for advanced disease endometrial cancer, an understanding of the relevance of immune cells needs to be addressed. This review briefly discusses current knowledge in the area of immune cells and how they may alter the course of endometrial cancer, as well as the implications of these cells for novel therapy and outcome.