Techniques for Profiling the Cellular Immune Response and Their Implications for Interventional Oncology

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The prognosis of patients with different types of cancer is usually predicted with the help of the TNM staging guidelines; however, in recent years, there has been increased interest in using the primary tumor’s immune environment and characteristics to predict patient prognosis. Interventional radiologists play an important role in the evaluation of this immune microenvironment by performing image-guided biopsies that are paramount for obtaining appropriate tissue samples. The goal of this review is to describe the different techniques that are used for immune microenvironment evaluation, analysis steps for the data collected, and its relevance to patient care, including implications for patients undergoing interventional oncology procedures. ABSTRACT: In recent years there has been increased interest in using the immune contexture of the primary tumors to predict the patient’s prognosis. The tumor microenvironment of patients with cancers consists of different types of lymphocytes, tumor-infiltrating leukocytes, dendritic cells, and others. Different technologies can be used for the evaluation of the tumor microenvironment, all of which require a tissue or cell sample. Image-guided tissue sampling is a cornerstone in the diagnosis, stratification, and longitudinal evaluation of therapeutic efficacy for cancer patients receiving immunotherapies. Therefore, interventional radiologists (IRs) play an essential role in the evaluation of patients treated with systemically administered immunotherapies. This review provides a detailed description of different technologies used for immune assessment and analysis of the data collected from the use of these technologies. The detailed approach provided herein is intended to provide the reader with the knowledge necessary to not only interpret studies containing such data but also design and apply these tools for clinical practice and future research studies.