Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are white blood cells that attack and destroy cancer cells. They are essential for destroying tumors and higher concentrations correspond to a better chance of survival in cancer patients.
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are cells that actively attack and destroy the cells that make up a tumor. There are a number of different antibodies that fall into this class of cells, and to destroy most cancers, many of them must be present. These lymphocytes are the body’s natural defense against cancer and can often completely destroy tumors without the assistance of further anticancer therapies. In patients who are to undergo therapy, including radiation therapy or chemotherapy, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are still an important factor in healing.
There are several types of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and many of them belong to a class of white blood cells known as T cells or killer T cells. T lymphocytes are essential for the destruction of a tumor because they identify a growth as unwanted, start destroying it with certain enzymes, and activate the assistance of other cells in destroying the rest of the tumor. Natural killer cells are also used in the destruction of tumors.
One major property of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes is that they are cytotoxic. This gives them the ability to kill any cells they come in contact with. Cytotoxic cells are used by the immune system for a variety of different purposes, including destroying cells infected with bacteria or viruses and destroying damaged or defective cells. Cancer cells have a defect in that they do not undergo cell division and death at the normal rate. Rather, they divide indefinitely and don’t die when conditions get too crowded or when defects appear in their deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
By targeting the defective cells, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are able to kill cells in a cancerous growth. In most cases, these growths are completely destroyed before a patient shows any signs of cancer. Many growths, however, expand too quickly for the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes to be destroyed, and the tumor will need to be treated medically.
Studies have shown that higher concentrations of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes correspond to a better chance of survival in cancer patients. Cancer treatments are often not fully effective and work best when complemented by an active, healthy immune system. The presence of many tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes around a tumor means that the patient’s body is actively attacking the growth and attempting to destroy it. Patients with high concentrations of these cells are more likely to go into remission and not have the cancer come back.
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