One-year lethality was studied in 613 patients older than 70 years who underwent surgery for lung cancer for the period of 1970-2002. During the first year after surgery 166 patients died (27.1%) and besides from the generalization of the disease - 92.2%, from other causes - 7.8%. The highest rate of one-year lethality was observed after pneumonectomy (39.4%), the lowest one - after lung margins resection (16.5%). It was found that the most important factor in one-year lethality rate was N2 lymph node status. Risk of dying from the generalization of the disease during the first year sharply increased in group of patients underwent extended and combined pneumonectomy (one-year lethality of 52.6% and 57.1%, respectively), pneumonectomy with N2 (56,0%), lobectomy in peripheral cancer with metastases of N2 level (63,6%), especially when the amount of the tumor was more than 5 cm (83.3%).