These findings further highlight the significance of Hsp70 and autophagy in enabling lung cancer cells to withstand chemotherapy-induced cytotoxicity, and provide a rationale for the combined inhibition of Hsp70 and autophagy to synergistically impede cancer cell tolerance to chemotherapeutic agents and enhance their efficacy in eradicating tumor cells. The gene discussed is HSPA1A; the disease is lung carcinoma.