Association Between Clinicopathological Features and Programmed Death Ligand 1 Expression in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND/AIM Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is a predictive marker for immunotherapy effects in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but its association with patient characteristics or specimens is controversial. We aimed to retrospectively analyze the association of PD-L1 expression with clinicopathological features of NSCLC patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS The PD-L1 expression and clinicopathological features of NSCLC patients were assessed from January 2017 to June 2017 in the Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Centre, Komagome Hospital were reviewed (n=108). RESULTS For PD-L1 expressions of 0% and >1%, multivariate analysis showed that lymph node sample results were associated with positive PD-L1 expression. Archival samples and high serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels were associated with negative PD-L1 expression. Sample preservation time and CEA levels correlated with PD-L1 expression. CONCLUSION Nodal metastasis, sample preservation time and CEA levels were associated with PD-L1 expression in NSCLC.