Non-Cochrane · prognostic · PM42125931
The Prognostic Significance of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Head and Neck Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
de Morais Everton Freitas, da Costa Bruno Cesar, Mäkitie Antti, et al. · Journal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology · 2026 · PubMed · doi:10.1111/jop.70151
Findings
3 findings
| Population | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients with histologically confirmed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (oral, oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal) | Absence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS-negative tumors) | Presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS-positive tumors, reference category) | Overall survival Follow-up 24 to 120 months | HR 2.20 [1.74, 2.78] GRADE not reported 7 studies · 1465 participants |
| Patients with histologically confirmed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (oral, oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal) | Absence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS-negative tumors) | Presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS-positive tumors, reference category) | Disease-free survival Follow-up 24 to 120 months | HR 2.21 [1.49, 3.28] GRADE not reported 3 studies · 453 participants |
| Patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma | Absence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS-negative tumors) | Presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS-positive tumors, reference category) | Overall survival Follow-up 24 to 120 months · OSCC subgroup | HR 1.97 [1.42, 2.73] GRADE not reported 3 studies · 575 participants |
Included primary studies 17
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almangush 2022 Tertiary lymphoid structures associate with improved survival in early oral tongue cancer. PMID:36309667 | 2022 | this review only | Overall survival | not extracted yet |
| Almangush 2025 Tertiary lymphoid structures in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A multi-institutional study. PMID:39724852 | 2025 | this review only | Overall survival | not extracted yet |
| Li H 2025 Multimodal profiling uncovers tertiary lymphoid structures as a critical determinant of immunotherapy response and prognosis in… PMID:39642574 | 2025 | this review only | Overall survival | not extracted yet |
| Li K 2020 Oral cancer-associated tertiary lymphoid structures: gene expression profile and prognostic value. PMID:31652350 | 2020 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Li Q 2020 Prognostic value of tertiary lymphoid structure and tumour infiltrating lymphocytes in oral squamous cell carcinoma. PMID:32934197 | 2020 | this review only | Overall survival; Disease-free survival | not extracted yet |
| Liang 2023 Follicle-like tertiary lymphoid structures: A potential biomarker for prognosis and immunotherapy response in patients with laryngeal… PMID:36776859 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Ruiz-Torres 2025 Spatial characterization of tertiary lymphoid structures as predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint blockade in head and neck squamous… PMID:39963988 | 2025 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Seki 2024 Tertiary lymphoid structures in tongue cancer: Association with clinicopathological parameters, preoperative S-1 chemotherapy response,… PMID:38183312 | 2024 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Sun 2024 Identification and validation of a prognostic model based on three TLS-Related genes in oral squamous cell carcinoma. PMID:39462422 | 2024 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Wang C 2021 Prognostic value of tertiary lymphoid structures in early clinical stage oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma. PMID:34124806 | 2021 | this review only | Overall survival; Disease-free survival | not extracted yet |
| Wang M 2023 Tertiary lymphoid structures in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma improve prognosis by recruiting CD8+ T cells. PMID:36825382 | 2023 | this review only | Overall survival; Disease-free survival | not extracted yet |
| Weed 2023 The Tumor Immune Microenvironment Architecture Correlates with Risk of Recurrence in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. PMID:37602821 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Wirsing 2014 Characterisation and prognostic value of tertiary lymphoid structures in oral squamous cell carcinoma. PMID:25177210 | 2014 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Wu 2024 Tertiary lymphoid structure-related score as a predictor for survival prognosis and immunotherapy response in head and neck squamous cell… PMID:39493749 | 2024 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Xu 2025 Distinct maturity and spatial distribution of tertiary lymphoid structures in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: implications for… PMID:39932546 | 2025 | this review only | Overall survival | not extracted yet |
| Yao 2025 Characteristics and clinical significance of tertiary lymphoid structures in OSCC. PMID:39049571 | 2025 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Zhang 2023 Single-cell chemokine receptor profiles delineate the immune contexture of tertiary lymphoid structures in head and neck squamous cell… PMID:36841416 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
Review question
| Element | Planned (methods) | Found (results) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Patients with histopathologically confirmed HNSCC with TLS assessed by histology or immunohistochemistry | HNSCC patients (n=2309 across 17 studies; mostly oral cavity and oral tongue, plus nasopharyngeal and laryngeal cohorts) |
| Intervention | Presence, density, maturation or spatial distribution of TLSs (exposure) | TLS presence, maturity and spatial distribution assessed mainly by H&E with immunohistochemistry (17 studies) |
| Comparison | Low TLS density or absence of TLSs | TLS-negative versus TLS-positive (reference) |
| Outcomes | Overall survival, disease-specific survival, disease-free survival | OS (7 studies pooled), DFS (3 studies pooled); therapeutic response narratively (2 studies) |
| Study designs | Observational studies (cohort, case-control) and clinical trials | 17 observational (mostly retrospective cohort) studies; 7 in meta-analysis |
| Timing | Not specified | Follow-up 24 to 120 months |