Dr. Mason on the Reliability of the PD-L1 Biomarker

David P. Mason, MD, chief, Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplantation, Baylor Scott & White Center for Thoracic Surgery, discusses the reliability of the PD-L1 biomarker in non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its potential applications in surgical approaches.

PD-L1 seems to be a reliable biomarker. There is value in its use in the adjuvant setting, and that may be in a larger subpopulation of patients receiving treatments in addition to surgery. This is done to try and improve long-term outcomes and diminish the likelihood of occurrence.

There are some very interesting studies coming out now that show the use of induction therapy in other settings, not necessarily in a surgical setting, but nonetheless show high efficacy. In patients with locally advanced tumors, particularly stage III disease who don’t undergo surgery upfront, physicians can note the effectiveness of those treatments and bring that into the surgical arena to improve patient outcomes.