Between 1966 and 1976, 34 patients had 42 thoracotomies for resection of recurrent or residual metastatic germinal cell carcinoma primary in the testes in addition to chemotherapy. Of the 34, 18 (53%) are alive and well free of evidence of disease from 4 months to 104 months. Systemic chemotherapy of this group of tumors has improved markedly and many patients are now rendered free of disease and are potentially cured. In some however, an occasional pulmonary nodule did not completely respond or recurred after complete disappearance. The surgery was done to remove the last evidence of disease, and to establish the histology of the metastases.