Surgery is the treatment of choice in patients with a diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A pivotal of eligibility for resection is the early stage of the disease and histopathological assessment. The performance status and comorbidities in population, predominated by elderly patients, also influence the therapeutic decisions. In some lung cancer patients COPD coexists, characterized by a decrease in lung function. Then the preoperative evaluation is particularly important, for both the risk of postoperative complications, lung function and quality of life postoperatively. Recently several recommendations for preoperative evaluation of patients being considered for surgery were published. The guidelines of BTS (2001, 2010), ACCP (2007, 2013) and joint recommendations of ERS and ESTS (2009) have been based on the currently available research results, and indicated the algorithms. The recommendations ERS/ESTS and ACCP distinguished cardiac risk estimation in all patients, which should precede the evaluation of lung function. According to the latest recommendations (ACCP 2013) the next step is spirometry, DLCO measurement and calculation of predicted postoperative values for both parameters. The low-technology exercise tests (stair climbing, shuttle walk test) were assigned as valuable to discriminate patients at low and intermediate perioperative risk. The cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) is recommended to be performed at the final qualification for surgery in patients with high risk. It was also stressed that therapeutic decisions should be taken multidisciplinary, allowing to estimate the risk of complications and to evaluate the expected quality of life in the postoperative time.