Nivolumab in Treating Patients With Advanced Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To study the sustained proliferation of programmed cell death protein (PD)-1+Ki-67+cluster of differentiation(CD)8 T cells as a predictive biomarker of response to nivolumab by comparing the response rates to nivolumab treatment between two groups of patients (positive vs negative) stratified by the status of PD-1+Ki-67+CD8 T cells. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. Characterize phenotype of proliferating T cells in peripheral blood in the setting of nivolumab therapy. II. Perform gene expression profiling of activated T cells from peripheral blood. III. Perform T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing of activated T cells from peripheral blood and tumor infiltrating T cells (TILs). IV. Assess pre-treatment biopsies and biopsies at the time of disease progression for tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. V. Determine progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). OUTLINE: Patients receive nivolumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes on day 1. Courses repeat every 2 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unexpected toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 30 and 90 days and then every 3 months for up to 3 years.