Lack of clearly defined role for anti-programmed death-(ligand) 1 therapy in epidermal growth factor receptor mutated non-small cell lung cancer

We thank the authors who contributed thoughtful editorials to this journal in response to our phase II study evaluating pembrolizumab in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)+, tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) naïve patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Specifically, the comments by Tay et al., Casaluce and Gridelli, and Ward and Morgensztern, were insightful and perceptive both with respect to the interpretation of our study and the more general topic of anti-PD-(L)1 therapy in EGFR-mutant NSCLC (1-3). There are a number of issues raised by these editorials that we would like to further emphasize in this correspondence.