Tumour-draining axillary lymph nodes in patients with large and locally advanced breast cancers undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC): the crucial contribution of immune cells (effector, regulatory) and cytokines (Th1, Th2) to immune-mediated tumour cell death induced by NAC

Table 1 High Levels of Tumour-infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs) in Pre-NAC^(a) ALN^(b) Metastatic Tumours: Association with a PCR Following NAC

	Groups	Pre-NAC
	Groups	Low Infiltration (n)	High Infiltration (n)	Pearson Chi-Square Value (PCR Versus Non PCR)	P Value
TILs (n = 20)	Pathological Complete Response (PCR, n = 9)	4	5	5.089	0.024^c
TILs (n = 20)	Non Pathological Complete Response (Non PCR, n = 11)	10	1	5.089	0.024^c

^(a)NAC: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy; ^(b) ALN; Axillary lymph nodes; ^c Statistically significant

ISSN: 1471-2407