BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung carcinoma is a common tumor with a poor prognosis. Of all malignancies, it is the main cause of death for male and female patients in the Western world. Resection remains the most effective treatment when feasible. Accurate description and classification of the extent of cancer growth are important in planning treatment, estimating prognosis, evaluating end results of therapy, and exchanging information on human cancer research. Until effective systemic therapy is available for non-small cell lung cancer, development of new treatment strategies depends on knowledge of the end results achieved for carefully staged groups of patients in the lung cancer populations. For these reasons, we investigated the sruvival rate in radically resected non-small cell lung cancer patients by newly revised staging system adopted by the American Joint Committee on Cancer and the Union Internationale Contre le Cancer. METHODS: Clinical, surgical-pathologic and follow-up informations on 84 consecutive, previously untreated, patients who received their primary treatment for non-small cell lung cancer were investigated. Staging definitions for the T(primary tumor), N(reginal lymph node), and M(distant metastasis) components were according to the International Staging System for Lung Cancer. Death from any causes was the primary target of the evaluation. RESULTS: The median survival rates were as follows; stage I;79.1 months, stage II;47.3 months, stage III a;22.7 months, stage III b;16.1 months, and stage IV;15.2 months versus newly revised stage I a;58.5 months, stage I b;76.0 months, stage II a; not available, stage II b;43.0 months, stage III a;22.5 months, stage III b;16.1 months, and stage IV;15.2 months. The survival rates were not significantly different between old and newly revised staging system. Cumulative percent survival at 36months after treatment was 100% in stage I a, 80% in stage I b, not available in stage II a,26% in stage II b, and 21% in stage III a respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although these data were not significantly different statistically, the newly revised lung cancer staging system might be more promising for the accurate evaluation of the prognosis in the non-small cell lung cancer patients.