33 patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer entered a study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy to evaluate the response rate with ifosfamide/cisplatin/etoposide and the complete resection rate and safety of surgery following chemotherapy. Chemotherapy with cisplatin 25 mg/m2, ifosfamide 1.5 g/m2, and etoposide 100 mg/m2 was given on days 1-4 of a 21 day cycle and repeated for three cycles. For responders, surgery was done 15-20 days after haematological recovery. Chemotherapy induced 5 complete responses (15%) and 18 partial responses (55%). 77% of the 33 patients had grade 3-4 neutropenia and 60% grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia. 1 patient died with a central nervous system haemorrhage. Thoracotomy was done in 21 patients but resection was only possible in 20 (61%). A complete resection was achieved in 18 patients (55%). Histology was negative for the 5 complete responses. Surgery induced no morbidity. A high response rate may be obtained with ifosfamide, cisplatin and etoposide neoadjuvant chemotherapy allowing a high complete resection rate.