Table 1 Clinicopathologic patient characteristics and associations with immune cell type density in the TP25μm zone at the tumour centre in cohort 1. Tumour budding is scored according to the ITBCC criteria [23]. Abbreviations: GZMB granzyme B, TBC tumour border configuration

n

97

49

48

49

48

49

48

Age (n = 97)

 Mean (SD)

69.6 (12.1)

71.3 (10.9)

67.8 (13.1)

0.162

72.1 (10.5)

67.0 (13.2)

0.035

69.8 (13.2)

69.3 (11.0)

0.83

Gender (n = 97)

 Female

44 (45.4)

20 (40.8)

24 (50.0)

0.481

22 (44.9)

22 (45.8)

1

19 (38.8)

25 (52.1)

0.266

 Male

53 (54.6)

29 (59.2)

24 (50.0)

27 (55.1)

26 (54.2)

30 (61.2)

23 (47.9)

Histological Subtype (n = 96)

 Adenocarcinoma

93 (96.9)

45 (93.8)

48 (100.0)

0.242

46 (95.8)

47 (97.9)

1

45 (93.8)

48 (100.0)

0.242

 Mucinous

1 (1.0)

1 (2.1)

0 (0.0)

1 (2.1)

0 (0.0)

1 (2.1)

0 (0.0)

 Other

2 (2.1)

2 (4.2)

0 (0.0)

1 (2.1)

1 (2.1)

2 (4.2)

0 (0.0)

Location (n = 85)

 Right

26 (30.6)

12 (28.6)

14 (32.6)

0.218

13 (30.2)

13 (31.0)

0.992

13 (30.2)

13 (31.0)

0.992

 Left

35 (41.2)

21 (50.0)

14 (32.6)

18 (41.9)

17 (40.5)

18 (41.9)

17 (40.5)

 Rectum

24 (28.2)

9 (21.4)

15 (34.9)

12 (27.9)

12 (28.6)

12 (27.9)

12 (28.6)

pT (n = 96)

 1

6 (6.2)

1 (2.1)

5 (10.4)

0.085

1 (2.1)

5 (10.4)

0.036

1 (2.1)

5 (10.4)

0.31

 2

16 (16.7)

5 (10.4)

11 (22.9)

4 (8.3)

12 (25.0)

7 (14.6)

9 (18.8)

 3

52 (54.2)

28 (58.3)

24 (50.0)

30 (62.5)

22 (45.8)

27 (56.2)

25 (52.1)

 4

22 (22.9)

14 (29.2)

8 (16.7)

13 (27.1)

9 (18.8)

13 (27.1)

9 (18.8)

pN (n = 95)

 0

61 (64.2)

22 (45.8)

39 (83.0)

0.001

19 (39.6)

42 (89.4)

< 0.001

25 (52.1)

36 (76.6)

0.035

 1

25 (26.3)

18 (37.5)

7 (14.9)

20 (41.7)

5 (10.6)

16 (33.3)

9 (19.1)

 2

9 (9.5)

8 (16.7)

1 (2.1)

9 (18.8)

0 (0.0)

7 (14.6)

2 (4.3)

cM (n = 97)

 0

80 (82.5)

37 (75.5)

43 (89.6)

0.12

36 (73.5)

44 (91.7)

0.037

37 (75.5)

43 (89.6)

0.12

 1

17 (17.5)

12 (24.5)

5 (10.4)

13 (26.5)

4 (8.3)

12 (24.5)

5 (10.4)

TNM stage (n = 97)

 I

17 (17.5)

4 (8.2)

13 (27.1)

0.002

3 (6.1)

14 (29.2)

< 0.001

5 (10.2)

12 (25.0)

0.034

 II

38 (39.2)

15 (30.6)

23 (47.9)

15 (30.6)

23 (47.9)

16 (32.7)

22 (45.8)

 III

23 (23.7)

18 (36.7)

5 (10.4)

18 (36.7)

5 (10.4)

16 (32.7)

7 (14.6)

 IV

19 (19.6)

12 (24.5)

7 (14.6)

13 (26.5)

6 (12.5)

12 (24.5)

7 (14.6)

Tumour Grade (n = 97)

 1

3 (3.1)

2 (4.1)

1 (2.1)

0.402

2 (4.1)

1 (2.1)

0.402

2 (4.1)

1 (2.1)

0.402

 2

86 (88.7)

41 (83.7)

45 (93.8)

41 (83.7)

45 (93.8)

41 (83.7)

45 (93.8)

 3

8 (8.2)

6 (12.2)

2 (4.2)

6 (12.2)

2 (4.2)

6 (12.2)

2 (4.2)

Lymphatic Invasion (n = 88)

 0

50 (56.8)

17 (38.6)

33 (75.0)

0.001

16 (35.6)

34 (79.1)

< 0.001

23 (52.3)

27 (61.4)

0.519

 1

38 (43.2)

27 (61.4)

11 (25.0)

29 (64.4)

9 (20.9)

21 (47.7)

17 (38.6)

Venous Invasion (n = 88)

 0

51 (58.0)

21 (47.7)

30 (68.2)

0.084

19 (42.2)

32 (74.4)

0.004

23 (52.3)

28 (63.6)

0.388

 1

37 (42.0)

23 (52.3)

14 (31.8)

26 (57.8)

11 (25.6)

21 (47.7)

16 (36.4)

Perineural Invasion (n = 88)

 0

73 (83.0)

33 (75.0)

40 (90.9)

0.089

32 (71.1)

41 (95.3)

0.006

35 (79.5)

38 (86.4)

0.571

 1

15 (17.0)

11 (25.0)

4 (9.1)

13 (28.9)

2 (4.7)

9 (20.5)

6 (13.6)

Tumour Budding (n = 87)

 1

46 (52.9)

18 (41.9)

28 (63.6)

0.041

19 (42.2)

27 (64.3)

0.063

19 (43.2)

27 (62.8)

0.172

 2

17 (19.5)

8 (18.6)

9 (20.5)

9 (20.0)

8 (19.0)

11 (25.0)

6 (14.0)

 3

24 (27.6)

17 (39.5)

7 (15.9)

17 (37.8)

7 (16.7)

14 (31.8)

10 (23.3)

TBC (% expanding) (n = 90)

 Mean (SD)

45.0 (29.5)

45.8 (30.7)

44.2 (28.6)

0.827

41.0 (30.4)

49.2 (28.2)

0.12

45.1 (30.8)

44.9 (28.5)

0.936

 0

5 (5.7)

4 (9.1)

1 (2.3)

0.044

5 (11.1)

0 (0.0)

< 0.001

4 (9.1)

1 (2.3)

0.001

 1

47 (53.4)

28 (63.6)

19 (43.2)

31 (68.9)

16 (37.2)

30 (68.2)

17 (38.6)

 2

31 (35.2)

11 (25.0)

20 (45.5)

9 (20.0)

22 (51.2)

10 (22.7)

21 (47.7)

 3

5 (5.7)

1 (2.3)

4 (9.1)

0 (0.0)

5 (11.6)

0 (0.0)

5 (11.4)