Immunosurveillance in esophageal carcinoma: The decisive impact of regulatory T cells

Neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy of esophageal carcinomas causes a variable degree of depletion of tumor-infiltrating FOXP3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs). The frequency of local Tregs in the operative specimens negatively correlates with the pathological response and overall patient survival. These results underscore the importance of immunosurveillance in determining the fate of patients with esophageal cancers treated with radiochemotherapy.