Fig. 2: Association between CD8⁺ nTILs and EFS.

a Kaplan–Meier curves for EFS in the MPR group vs non-MPR group. A major pathological response was defined as having a <10% RVT. Patient number: 200; Event number: 32; median follow-up: 26 months (survivors); HR hazard ratio. b Kaplan–Meier curves for EFS grouped by CD8⁺ nTIL density. The cutoff was set by the median number of lymphocytes per 1 mm² (0.41 CD8⁺ nTIL counts per mm²). Patient number: 99; Event number: 13; median follow-up (survivors): 26.5 months. c, d Kaplan‒Meier curves for EFS grouped by CD8⁺ nTIL density in the MPR group (c) and non-MPR group (d). MPR group number: 53; Event number: 4; median follow-up: 27 months; non-MPR group number: 46; Event number: 9; median follow-up (survivors): 26 months