Diagnostic procedure, therapeutic care and degree of follow-up delivered to 1692 lung cancer patients over 2 years (1978-79) in 31 Italian hospitals were reviewed. The data show marked deficiencies in the various indicators analysed: staging by standard methods was recorded only in 13% of patients; reliable histocytologic classification in 54% of patients. A group of commonly accepted protocols was adopted as first-line therapy only in 49% of treated cases; 19% of patients were regularly followed according to standard programs, whereas 49% had been dropped without any information in the charts. Better performance, although not satisfactory, was found in hospitals with oncologic facilities and wards compared to centers without "ad hoc" organizations. The discussion focussed on the limits of organizational measures and efforts to determine widespread improvement in care for a disease such as lung cancer for which real therapeutic gains are still hard to achieve.