The results of this study indicated that the mRNA expression of PHDs, especially PHD3, was much higher in lung cancer tissue than in adjacent normal tissue; increased expression of PHD1, PHD2 and PHD3 occurred in 53 (85.5%), 48 (77.4%), and 59 (95.2%) NSCLC patient samples, respectively, compared with paired adjacent normal tissue samples. The gene discussed is EGLN3; the disease is lung carcinoma.