Recent studies have shown that the presence and the magnitude of a systemic inflammatory response, as evidenced by increased circulating concentrations of C-reactive protein, is a prognostic factor independent of age, stage, performance status, weight-loss and hypoalbuminaemia in patients with advanced cancer including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (Martin et al, 1999; O'Gorman et al, 2000; Mahmoud and Rivera, 2002; Scott et al, 2002). Here, CRP is linked to non-small cell lung carcinoma.