Here, we show the presence of mesenchymal cells with the immunophenotypic profile Lin-EpCAM-CD73+CD90+ in early stage resectable NSCLC were associated with a higher baseline expression of the immunosuppressive ligand PD-L1, as well as an enhanced basal IL-6 secretion compared to their normal counterpart derived from matched uninvolved lung. Here, EPCAM is linked to non-small cell lung carcinoma.