The treatment of potentially resectable lung cancer in octogenarians has become a frequent clinical problem, due to the increasing number of elderly people maintaining an active daily life. In the present study, we reviewed the clinical records of patients to evaluate the results of the surgical treatment of lung cancer in octogenarians. From 1992 to 1995, 18 patients aged 80 years or older (octogenarians) with primary lung cancer underwent surgical resections including: three (16.7%) sleeve lobectomies, nine (50.0%) lobectomies, one (5.5%) segmentectomy, and five (27.8%) partial resections. The postoperative complication rate was 50% in octogenarians; however, no fatal complications were observed. The 5-year survival rate was 42.6%, which was similar to that obtained in younger patients. Based on our findings, the surgical treatment of lung cancer can thus be performed in selected octogenarians without increasing either morbidity or mortality, while also obtaining long-term survival.