AbstractLung cancer has considerable treatment problems, with a poor 5‐yr survival rate after surgery. Application of histopathological and immunohistopathological subtyping have proven to be powerful tools for the assessment of prognosis. Results in 33 patients with small cell carcinoma, 44 with large cell carcinoma, and five with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lung are discussed. The 5‐yr survival rates in patients with small cell carcinoma of the oat cell type and intermediate type were 24 and 44%, respectively. Argyrophilic granules and neuron‐specific enolase, neuroendocrine markers, were detected more frequently in the oat cell type rather than in the intermediate type. In contrast, keratin, epithelial membrane antigen, and carcinoembryonic antigen, epithelial origin markers, were present more frequently in the intermediae type than in the oat cell type. The 5‐yr survival rates with large cell carcinoma of the compact growth type and the loose structure type were 46 and 28%, respectively, based on evidence of morphologically intercellular cohesion. The epithelial origin markers were detectable and more frequent in the compact growth type than in the loose structure type. The growth patterns of adenoid cystic carcinoma are classified as tubular, cribriform, and solid. The solid pattern was the most aggressive with extensive perineural invasion. We propose that the pathological properties of lung cancer should be examined as a prognostic implication of su