Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world wide. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 80% of lung cancers, its pathogenesis have not been elucidated. Recently, researches have shown that dysregulation and excessive activity of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) has been associated with many pathologies. Some results suggest that the matrix metalloproteinases 12 (MMP-12) participates in the invasion and metastasis of NSCLC. The expression of MMP-12 in non-small cell lung cancer is significantly higher than in adjacent tissues. And studies have shown that the MMP-12 has important prognostic significance in NSCLC. Therefore this article will briefly summarize the research progresses of MMP-12 in NSCLC.