High levels of COMP expression by the cancer cells and in the stroma were associated with fewer tumor-infiltrating T-cells that were CD3+ (p=0.010 cancer cells and p<0.001 stroma), CD8+ (p=0.007 cancer cells and p<0.001 stroma) as well as CD56+ natural killer cells (NK; p<0.001 cancer cells and p<0.001 stroma) (Figure 3A). Here, COMP is linked to neoplasm.