Higher PD-L1 levels linked to poorer outcomes in EGFR-mutated NSCLC treated with first-line osimertinib

Dr. Jonathan Wennan Lee, a chief hematology/oncology fellow at Weill Cornell Medicine, discussed the emerging role of PD-L1 as a predictive biomarker for first-line osimertinib resistance in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer.

In a retrospective analysis, Lee observed that patients with higher PD-L1 expression experienced worse clinical outcomes when treated with osimertinib.

He cited several research groups, including an Australian study of roughly 300 patients, that have reported consistent associations between elevated PD-L1 and poorer prognosis.

The findings raise questions about the biological mechanisms linking PD-L1 to resistance, underscoring the need for further collaborative investigations.