Circular RNA profiling identified as a biomarker for predicting the efficacy of Gefitinib therapy for non-small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer is common, and it one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide (1). There were more than 1.8 million new cases and almost 1.6 million deaths estimated in 2012 (2). Despite progress in its detection and treatment, the prognosis of lung cancer is still poor with a 5-year overall survival rate of only about 11% (3). Lung cancer has two main histological types: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer. NSCLC accounts for approximately 85% of all lung cancer cases and almost consists of squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and other types (3,4). Most patients with NSCLC have advanced local invasion and distant metastases at the time of diagnosis (3,4)