CD8A and cancer: Cytotoxic cells, CD8+ T cells and exhausted CD8+ T cells were lower in EGFR-positive cancer compared to treatment-naïve ALK/EGFR-negative cancer (FC =  − 2.2, p = 4.1E-05; FC =  − 2.0, p = 0.01 and FC =  − 1.7, p = 0.0082).