CD8-positive cell density was significantly lower in the tumor epithelium in the chemotherapy and CRT cohorts compared with the treatment naïve cohort (median 93.9 and 30.5 cells/mm2 vs 200.7 cells/mm2, p < 0.0001 and p < 0.01, respectively) (Fig. 3A), whereas there were no significant differences in stromal CD8-positive cell density between the different cohorts (Fig. 3D). Here, CD8A is linked to neoplasm.