Immunomodulatory therapies using monoclonal antibodies to block the co-inhibitory receptors programmed death-1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) have revolutionized the treatment of diverse tumor types, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, PDCD1 is linked to non-small cell lung carcinoma.