The purpose of the study was to investigate the prognosis for patients treated for lung cancer by operative resection in the Copenhagen area. Ninety-four consecutively operated patients were followed prospectively for ten years. Seventy-one percent of the patients had been operated radically. The five- and ten-year survival for this group was respectively 46 and 27%. All non-radically operated patients were dead after four years. The postoperative mortality and long-term survival correspond to international results. Type of cancer and mode of operation did not affect survival in the radically operated patients.