Correlation of tumor-associated macrophage density and proportion of M2 subtypes with the pathological stage of colorectal cancer.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent global malignancy with complex prognostic factors. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) have shown paradoxical associations with CRC survival, particularly concerning the M2 subset.

Aim: We aimed to establish a simplified protocol for quantifying M2-like TAMs and explore their correlation with clinicopathological factors.