A clinical study on 207 patients was performed to evaluate partial or wedge resection for lung carcinoma in our institute. Although forced vital capacity decreased 300 ml in cases with poor lung function, blood gas analysis and performance status showed no change due to limited operation. Relative non-curative cases undergoing limited operation showed a relatively good result compared to standard lobectomy, and the 5-year survival rate was 42% postoperatively, but absolute non-curative cases showed a much poorer postoperative prognosis. Reduction surgery by limited operation did not have significant effect on the survival of the patients. Limited operation for recurrent lung cancer showed good results and 5-year survival was 60% postoperatively. It was suggested that limited operation for such selected patients can be a beneficial therapeutic modality. In conclusion, limited resection is not indicated for peripheral lung cancers of more than 3 cm in diameter, poor differentiation or marked cell atypia, because of higher incidence of lymph node metastasis and early postoperative recurrence, especially in adenocarcinoma.