There is growing evidence that both local and systemic inflammatory responses play an
important role in the progression of a variety of solid tumors. Colorectal cancer (CRC) results
from the cumulative effect of sequential genetic alterations, leading to the expression of
tumor-associated antigens possibly inducing a cellular anti-tumor immune response. It is
well recognized that cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs) constitute one of the most important
effector mechanisms of anti-tumor-immunity. However, their potential prognostic influence in …