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Cancer research

Rectal Cancer Study Reveals Immune Activation Through Radiotherapy

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A recent study conducted by Tehran University of Medical Sciences has shed light on the effects of radiotherapy on immune activation in rectal cancer patients. The research retrospectively assessed patients treated with neoadjuvant radiotherapy between 2019 and 2021, with a focus on the impact of long-course (LCRT) and short-course (SCRT) radiotherapy on CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). The study's findings suggest that both SCRT and LCRT significantly increase CD8+ TIL count and percentage, reflecting robust immune activation after radiotherapy in rectal cancer.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study analyzed 34 patients with rectal cancer, with 23 (67.6%) receiving LCRT and 11 (32.4%) receiving SCRT.
  • The mean age of the patients was 58.56 ± 13.59 years.
  • CD8+ TIL count and percentage increased significantly after radiotherapy in all patients (P < 0.001).
  • SCRT was independently associated with a greater increase in CD8+ T cells after adjusting for histopathological variables.
  • The study highlights the importance of CD8+ TIL as a marker of anti-tumor immune response in rectal cancer.

Statistics:

  • 67.6% of patients received LCRT.
  • 32.4% of patients received SCRT.
  • Mean age: 58.56 ± 13.59 years.
  • CD8+ TIL count increased by 3.5 folds after radiotherapy (P < 0.001).
  • SCRT showed a higher relative increase in CD8+ TIL count compared to LCRT.

Sources:

  • CD8-positive lymphocyte infiltration as a marker of anti-tumor immune response in rectal cancer: pre- and post-neoadjuvant radiotherapy comparison. Clinical and Translational Radiation Oncology, 2025,54():101018.
  • Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
  • NewsRx. Studies from Tehran University of Medical Sciences Add New Findings in the Area of Rectal Cancer (CD8-positive lymphocyte infiltration as a marker of anti-tumor immune response in rectal cancer: pre- and post-neoadjuvant radiotherapy comparison). Cancer Weekly. September 9, 2025; p 1131.

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