Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are crucial effectors of the anticancer immune response and are hypothesized to be key determinants the efficacy of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Herein, the authors review studies that have evaluated the roles of various TIL subsets as predictive biomarkers for ICIs, as well as opportunities, challenges and strategies for future research in this field.

Despite lower levels of most targetable alterations, a strong association with a history of smoking and generally higher levels of PD-L1 expression, patients with squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (LUSC) have inferior outcomes on immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) compared to those with non-squamous disease. In this Review, the authors describe the available evidence on the role of ICIs and of potential novel therapies in patients with LUSC, as well as highlighting important unresolved challenges and future research directions in this historically overlooked subtype.

In this Review, the authors discuss key clinical trials and therapeutic advances that have informed the current treatment landscape for cervical cancers of all stages, including refinement of surgical management approaches, the establishment of chemoradiotherapy, and the integration of anti-angiogenic agents, immune-checkpoint inhibitors and antibody–drug conjugates.

Neoadjuvant administration of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has substantially improved the outcomes in patients with various solid tumours, including those with head and neck cancer. However, not all patients derive benefit, indicating a need for biomarkers that enable accurate predictions of a response to these agents. In this Review the authors describe changes in both intratumour and circulating T cells in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer receiving neoadjuvant ICIs, and consider the role of specific T cell subsets as biomarkers in this setting.