In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) we were able to use stromal and intraepithelial CD8+ T cell densities as surrogate markers for the above-defined phenotypes and could demonstrate that the prognostic relevance of FoxP3+ T cell density depended on the degree of intratumoural inflammation (27). Here, CD8A is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.