The multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses demonstrated that liver metastasis (HR = 4.714, 95% CI = 1.562 − 14.225; P = 0.01), NLR (HR = 4.092, 95% CI = 1.407 − 11.899; P = 0.01), dNLR (HR = 5.907, 95% CI = 2.101 − 16.610; P = 0.001), and LMR (HR = 0.315, 95% CI = 0.138 − 0.721; P = 0.006) were the independent prognostic indicators of OS in stage IV NSCLC treated with PD-1 inhibitors. Here, PDCD1 is linked to non-small cell lung carcinoma.