Abstract:Objective To evaluate the efficacy of penpulimab combined with pemetrexed and cisplatin in the treatment of metastatic or locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to explore its regulatory effect on the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway.Methods A total of 180 NSCLC patients admitted to our hospital between August 2021 and June 2022 were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the observation group (n=90, penpulimab plus pemetrexed and cisplatin) or the control group (n=90, pemetrexed and cisplatin). Treatment outcomes were analyzed, and the regulatory role on the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway was investigated.Results The disease control rate was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (72.22% vs. 53.33%, χ2=6.871, P<0.05). Before treatment, there was no significant difference in KPS scores between the two groups (P>0.05). After treatment, KPS scores increased significantly in both groups (P<0.001), and were significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.001). Pretreatment levels of tumor markers (CA125, CEA, NSE, CYFRA21-1) showed no significant difference between groups (P>0.05). After treatment, these levels decreased significantly in both groups (P<0.001), with the observation group showing significantly lower levels than the control group (P<0.001). No significant difference was found in pretreatment levels of CD3+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes (P>0.05). But after treatment, the observation group exhibited significantly increased CD3+ and CD4+ T lymphocyte levels, which were higher than those in the control group (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the incidence of toxic side effects between the two groups after treatment (P>0.05). Pretreatment levels of soluble PD-1 (sPD-1) and soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) were comparable between groups (P>0.05). After treatment, these levels decreased significantly in both groups (P<0.001), with the observation group showing significantly lower levels than the control group (P<0.001).Conclusion Penpulimab combined with pemetrexed and cisplatin demonstrates significant efficacy in treating metastatic or locally advanced NSCLC. It improves patients' quality of life and enhances immune function. The mechanism of action may involve specifically blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, thereby reducing tumor cell immune escape and promoting tumor cell apoptosis.