Role of PDL1 as a prognostic marker in renal cell carcinoma: a prospective observational study in eastern India

Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common genitourinary malignancies. Programmed death ligand-1 (PDL1) is an immune checkpoint inhibitor, instrumental in 'T cell escape' of malignant cells. PDL1 has been shown to be associated with poor prognosis in multiple small studies. In this study, we want to study the role of PDL1 as a prognostic marker in RCC in an Indian population. Methods: A total of 30 patients who underwent radical or partial nephrectomy, with histopathological findings of RCC, were included in the study. PDL1 expression was studied in tumour tissue with immunohistochemistry. Patients were followed up for a period of 2 years for disease recurrence and cancer-specific mortality. Results: Expression of PDL1 was seen to be associated with higher grade and stage at presentation. PDL1 expression was also associated with statistically significant increased incidence of disease recurrence. Although cancer-specific mortality was higher in patients with positive PDL1 expression, it was seen to be statistically insignificant. Conclusions: PDL1 is a novel prognostic marker for RCC and is associated with poor prognosis. More studies with larger patient pool and multicentric studies will establish the role of PDL1 with certainty. This can be the torchbearer for the future management of RCC.