Eichhorn F, Klotz LV, Kriegsmann M, et al. - Researchers here present the first clinical outcomes of a planned interim safety analysis following the enrollment of 15 patients in a phase 2 trial intended to determine the therapeutic impact of neoadjuvant programmed cell death 1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (MK-3475, KEYTRUDA®) given before surgery for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Participants were cases of resectable NSCLC stage II/IIIA treated with two cycles of pembrolizumab (200 mg intravenously once every 3 weeks) before surgery. A major pathologic response was seen in four patients (27%). In all four pathologic responders, there was significant tumor target response in positron emission tomography computed tomography. A programmed cell death ligand 1 expression ≥ 10% in the pretreatment biopsy was identified to be related to at least major pathologic response. Overall, findings demonstrated not only the feasibility of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab as a treatment choice in surgical lung cancer patients, but also showed its tolerable toxicity profile. Experts also noted that it did not compromise tumor resection.