Prognostic significance of Langerhans' cell infiltration in radiation therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Prognostic significance of Langerhans' cell (LC) infiltration in cancer nests was studied in 391 patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix. They were treated with radiation therapy alone. Langerhans' cells were identified by immunohistochemical staining for S100 protein. Langerhans' cells were present mainly in the intercellular spaces of tumor cells. The LC infiltration rates were higher in stage II (31.0%) or stage III (26.9%) than in stage I (17.5%) or stage IV (7.8%). The patients with LC infiltration showed a significantly better five-year survival rate than those without LC infiltration (68% and 56.1%, respectively). This significant difference was observed especially in stage III and it was suggestive in stage IV diseases. These results suggest that LCs in cancer nests may play a significant role in the immunologic defense against cancer in advanced stage of cervical cancer.