In clinical setting, high levels of HOTAIR expression was significantly correlated with longer progression-free survival (PFS) [P < 0.01] compared with low HOTAIR expression subgroup in tumors which respond to EGFR-TKIs. In vitro, over-expression HOTAIR could restore gefitinib sensitivity in gefitinib-resistant cells (PC9/R, H1299 and A549), but this change in sensitivity was not observed in H1975.