The article describes a retrospective study of the prognosis for 450 patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer discharged during the period 1970 to 1979. 81% of the patients were males. The predominant cell type was squamous cell carcinoma. One out of seven patients was inoperable because of poor cardiorespiratory function, six out of ten because of mediastinal metastases. Median survival was six months and was related both to staging of the tumor and to cell type. The prognosis was worst for patients with adenocarcinoma. Only 8% of the 450 patients were alive after two years. Specific and palliative therapy had a minor effect on median survival. Controlled clinical trials can probably settle whether an extension of the criteria for surgical treatment can improve the prognosis of this large group of patients.