Furthermore, given the pivotal inhibitory role of immune checkpoint molecule CTLA-4 on antitumor T cell responses and in promoting tumour immune evasion (Weber 2008), the level of CTLA-4 expression on different Treg phenotypes in tumour tissue was compared and it was found that this molecule is significantly downregulated on CD4+(CD8−)CD25+FOXP3+ Tregs in response to SDT, on day 4 (large effect size) and even by a higher magnitude of statistical significance and effect size on day 11 (Fig. 6B; Supplementary Table S2). Here, CTLA4 is linked to neoplasm.