The objective response rate and median PFS of first-line PD-1 axis inhibitor monotherapy in patients with NSCLC with PD-L1 TPS of ≥50% were reported to be 37–58% and 5.6–12.5 months, respectively, in previous studies [4, 5, 48]; these values were in agreement with the findings in our entire cohort, including all the patients who received pembrolizumab. This evidence concerns the gene PDCD1 and non-small cell lung carcinoma.