Tony Mok, MD, a professor in the department of clinical oncology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, discusses the next steps for pembrolizumab (Keytruda) as a treatment option for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after the phase III KEYNOTE-042 trial.

The current standard indication has been well-defined by a number of available studies as either monotherapy or in combination, says Mok. One of the next steps includes answering the question of how resistance to single-agent pembrolizumab can be managed.

The next step includes identifying how pembrolizumab can be used as a frame for other immunotherapy agents. Mok says it is still very risky business as there are several negative data that have come out already, but if there is an advantage, it needs to be used.

Third, Mok says a biomarker needs to be defined. There needs to be a better understanding of how to best select patients for this treatment. PD-L1 is clinically relevant and applicable, but it is not perfect.

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