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The tumor immune contexture of salivary duct carcinoma
Author(s) -
Schvartsman Gustavo,
Bell Diana,
Rubin Maria Laura,
Tetzlaff Michael,
Hanna Ehab,
Lee JiunKae Jack,
Weber Randal,
Phan Jack,
Glisson Bonnie S.,
Ferrarotto Renata
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.26587
Subject(s) - immune system , malignancy , immunohistochemistry , biomarker , medicine , foxp3 , pathology , oncology , biology , immunology , biochemistry
Background Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is a rare and aggressive malignancy. Recently, biomarker studies found promising targetable alterations. In this study, we provide a descriptive analysis of tumor and immune biomarkers and survival associations. Methods We extracted clinical data and performed immunohistochemistry for AR, AR‐V7, HER‐2, PD‐L1, LAG‐3, and tumor‐infiltrating immune cells. Results We included 17 patients. Age ranged from 42 to 85 years old; HER‐2 was overexpressed or amplified in 65%. AR was positive in 88% of patients, while AR‐V7 was positive in 13% by IHC. We found low scores of immune infiltration and a PD‐L1 expression in 53%. We found no clinically significant association between biomarkers and survival outcomes. Conclusion In this small series of SDC, biomarkers do not seem to correlate with disease biology, although they provide additional treatment options. SDC may harbor a different immune profile compared to other subtypes, with an indication of T‐cell dysfunction.