Nevertheless, this is a well-designed study investigating HMGB1 in serial serum samples of lung cancer patients at defined time points prior to chemotherapy cycles 1, 2, and 3 and correlating the results with the response to therapy and prognostic outcome of the patients as well as comparing the new marker HMGB1 with established lung cancer tumor markers CEA, CYFRA 21-1 and NSE. Here, HMGB1 is linked to lung cancer.