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Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are pivotal in the immune response against breast cancer (BC), with their prognostic and predictive significance varying across BC subtypes. In triple-negative BC (TNBC), higher TIL levels correlate with improved prognosis and treatment response, guiding therapeutic strategies and potentially offering avenues for treatment de-escalation. In metastatic TNBC, TILs identify patients with enhanced immunotherapy response. HER2+ BC, similar to TNBC, exhibits positive correlations between TILs and treatment response, especially in neoadjuvant settings. Luminal BC generally has low TILs, with limited prognostic impact. Single hormone receptor-positive BCs show distinct TIL associations, emphasizing subtype-specific considerations. TILs in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) display ambiguous prognostic significance, necessitating further investigation. Standardizing TIL assessment methods is crucial for unlocking their full potential as biomarkers, guiding treatment decisions, and enhancing patient care in BC.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most frequent human skin cancer, but metastasizing BCC (MBCC) is extremely rare, developing in approximately 0.0028% to 0.55% of BCC patients. Herein, we report two cases of pulmonary MBCC. The first one developed in a 72-year-old male who underwent surgical resection due to multiple recurrences and adjuvant radiotherapy. Immunohistochemistry showed that neoplastic cells expressed Ber-EP4, CK5/6, p63, EMA (focally), BCL-2, and CD10, but were negative for CK7, CK20, S100, estrogen and progesterone receptors, and TTF-1. The second case is a 64-year-old female treated with vismodegib. Clinicopathological features and differential diagnoses are described.

Uterine leiomyomas may occasionally spread to the lungs forming nodular lesions detectable on chest X-ray. This condition known as benign metastasizing leiomyoma (BML) usually occurs in females with a history of hysterectomy or myomectomy. We present three cases of BML demonstrating the diagnostic process and treatment approaches. Two patients presented with the more common multiple-nodule variant while the other had a single mass, but all were symptom-free. The age of presented patients at diagnosis of BML ranged from 46-53. The first patient was diagnosed with BML at the age of 50, and 12 years prior to the diagnosis, underwent a supracervical hysterectomy. The second patient had a myomectomy at 36, and BML was diagnosed 17 years later at the age of 53. The third patient had a hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy at the age of 46, with lung lesions present before the hysterectomy. Immunohistochemical studies of postoperative materials showed positive staining of spindle cells with antibodies against desmin and smooth muscle actin, as well as estrogen and progesterone receptors. The final histopathological diagnoses were pulmonary BML. All patients are stable and symptom-free: two at two years follow-up and one at six months follow-up.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in developed countries. Only 15% of patients are candidates for radical surgery, and adequate prognostication may guide proper postsurgical management. We aimed to retrospectively assess the prognostic significance of the immunohistochemical expression of immune checkpoint receptors (PD-L1 and VISTA), markers of systemic inflammation, thrombosis in the tumor area, and the tumor budding in the group of 107 patients diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma in a single center. The high expression of PD-L1 on tumor cells (TCs) was associated with worse overall survival (OS, p = 0.041, log-rank). On the contrary, high PD-L1 or VISTA on tumor-associated immune cells (TAICs) was correlated with better OS (p = 0.006 and p = 0.008, respectively, log-rank). The joint status of PD-L1 on TCs and TAICs stratified patients into three prognostic groups. The cases with high-grade budding were characterized by higher PD-L1 expression on TCs (p = 0.008) and elevated systemic inflammatory markers. Moreover, budding was identified as the independent prognostic factor in multivariate Cox regression analysis (HR = 2.87; 95% CI = 1.75−4.68; p < 0.001). To conclude, the pattern of PD-L1 and VISTA expression was associated with survival in univariate analysis. Tumor budding accurately predicts outcomes in pancreatic cancer and should be incorporated into routine histopathological practice.

The markers of the tumor microenvironment (TME) are promising prognostic and predictive factors in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The current study aims to analyze the immunohistochemical expression of programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and interleukin-33 (IL-33) in a cohort of 95 chemonaïve OSCCs. PD-L1 and IL-33 were assessed separately in tumor cells (TCs) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). High PD-L1 expression in TILs was associated with better overall survival (OS) in univariate analysis. Tumors localized in the floor of the oral cavity and tongue tended to have a lower percentage of PD-L1-positive TCs when compared to other locations. PD-L1 expression on TCs had no prognostic significance when the whole cohort was analyzed. However, along with the T descriptor (TNM 8 th ), it was included in the multivariable model predicting death in carcinomas of the floor of the oral cavity and tongue (HR = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.97-5.28). In other locations, only nodal status was identified as an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis (HR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.08-0.70). Expression of IL-33 had no impact on survival, but it was differently expressed in various locations. In conclusion, the prognostic significance of PD-L1 in oral cancer depends on the tumor site and type of cell expressing immune checkpoint receptor (TCs vs. TILs).