Prognostic and predictive role of ERCC1 protein expression in locally advanced stage III non-small cell lung cancer.

Systemic therapy improves the survival and quality of life of patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Several new therapeutic options have emerged for advanced NSCLC, incorporating novel cytotoxicity agents (taxanes, gemcitabine, pemetrexed) and molecular-targeted agents (erlotinib, bevacizumab) and the optimal prognostic marker for survival remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to assess the prognostic value of the clinicopathologic features and excision repair cross-complementation group-1 (ERCC1) in locally advanced NSCLC patients that received cisplatin-based chemotherapy.