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Article History

Received: 24 June 2019

Accepted: 29 August 2019

First Online: 25 September 2019

Competing interests

: C.J., C.H. and M.W. are employees of Bristol-Myers Squibb. G.J.F. has patents/pending royalties on the PD-1 pathway from Roche, Merck, Bristol Myers-Squibb, EMD-Serono, Boehringer-Ingelheim, AstraZeneca, Dako, and Novartis and has served on advisory boards for CoStim, Novartis, Roche, Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers-Squibb, Seattle Genetics, Bethyl Laboratories, Xios, and Quiet. F.S.H. receives consulting fees from Bristol Myers-Squibb, Merck, EMD-Serono, Novartis, Celldex, Amgen, Genentech/Roche, Incyte, Bayer, Partners Therapeutics, Sanofi, Pfizer and is on the advisory board for Apricity, Aduro, Pionyr, 7 Hills Pharma, Verastem, Compass Therapeutics, Takeda and holds equity and is on the advisory board for Torque. L.A.G. was a paid consultant for Novartis, Foundation Medicine, and Boehringer-Ingelheim; he held equity in Foundation Medicine and was a recipient of a grant from Novartis. L.A.G. is an employee of Roche. M.G. receives research funding from Bristol Myers-Squibb and Merck. T.K.C. receives research funds from AstraZeneca, Bayer, BMS, Cerulean, Eisai, Foundation Medicine Inc., Exelixis, Ipsen, Tracon, Genentech, Roche, Roche Products Limited, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Peloton, Pfizer, Prometheus Labs, Corvus, Calithera, Analysis Group, Takeda. T.K.C. receives honoraria from AstraZeneca, Alexion, Sanofi/Aventis, Bayer, BMS, Cerulean, Eisai, Foundation Medicine Inc., Exelixis, Genentech, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Peloton, Pfizer, EMD Serono, Prometheus Labs, Corvus, Ipsen, Up-to-Date, Analysis Group, NCCN, Michael J. Hennessy (MJH) Associates, Inc (Healthcare Communications Company with several brands such as OnClive and PER), L-path, Kidney Cancer Journal, Clinical Care Options, Platform Q, Navinata Healthcare, Harborside Press, American Society of Medical Oncology, NEJM, Lancet Oncology, Heron Therapeutics. T.K.C has consulting or advisory role for AstraZeneca, Alexion, Sanofi/Aventis, Bayer, BMS, Cerulean, Eisai, Foundation Medicine Inc., Exelixis, Genentech, Heron Therapeutics, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Peloton, Pfizer, EMD Serono, Prometheus Labs, Corvus, Ipsen, Up-to-Date, NCCN, Analysis Group. T.K.C. does not serve within a speaker’s bureau. T.K.C. does not have leadership or employment in for-profit companies. Other present or past leadership roles of T.K.C. include Director of GU Oncology Division at Dana-Farber and past President of medical Staff at Dana-Farber), member of NCCN Kidney panel and the GU Steering Committee, past chairman of the Kidney cancer Association Medical and Scientific Steering Committee). H.L., T.K.C. and M.G. have pending patents for biomarkers of immune checkpoint blockers. T.K.C. has stock ownership in Pionyr and Tempest. For T.K.C., travel, accommodations, and expenses, in relation to consulting, advisory roles, honoraria, medical writing and editorial assistance support may have been funded by communications companies funded by pharmaceutical companies. The institution (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) may have received additional independent funding of drug companies or/and royalties potentially involved in research around the subject matter. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.