Dr. Martins on Patient Selection for Nivolumab in NSCLC

Renato G. Martins, MD, MPH, medical director, Outpatient General Oncology/Hematology, Thoracic/Head and Neck Oncology, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, professor, University of Washington School of Medicine, discusses patient selection for nivolumab (Opdivo) as a treatment for patients with non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

PD-L1 expression is often debated as a biomarker for patients with NSCLC. However, Martins believes there are no patients who are not eligible to receive nivolumab, as durable responses have been observed in patients who are PD-L1—negative.

This reinforces the concept that PD-L1 may be a biomarker, but should not be used as the biomarker to determine how patients will respond to nivolumab.