192 untreated patients with a histologically verified non-small cell lung carcinoma were treated within 3 phase-II studies with different chemotherapy regimens: ifosfamide 2 g/m2 day 1-5 and cis-platinum 75 mg/m2 on day 1 (study I); ifosfamide 2 g/m2 days 1-5 and etoposide 120 mg/m2 days 1-3 (study II); ifosfamide 2 g/m2 days 1-5 and vindesine 3 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 (study III). All chemotherapy combinations were repeated every 4 weeks. One therapy with at least 2 courses was the minimum criterion for evaluating the remission rate. We observed complete remissions in 5 patients, and partial remissions in 54 patients (remission rate 31%). The median duration of remission was 7 months, the time to progression 5 months. The median survival time of all 192 patients was calculated as 8.5 months. The performance status had a significant influence on the remission state and the survival time of the patients. The sex and age of the patients as well as the extension and the histological type of the tumor had no influence. Concerning the remission rate and the survival time, there was no significant difference between the 3 therapy regimens. Due to the lesser toxicity, the combination ifosfamide/etoposide was the best.