OBJECTIVE A sleeve lobectomy for lung cancer is a procedure intended both for the maintenance of lung function and for radical treatment. We investigated the clinico-pathological features and treatment responses of lung cancer patients who underwent sleeve lobectomy in our department. METHODS Among the 984 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent resection in our department between 1994 and 2007, the subjects were 24 patients in whom a sleeve lobectomy was performed. RESULTS There were 18 male and 6 female patients, with a mean age of 65 years. The histological type was diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma in 14 patients, and adenocarcinoma in 10. Patients with either mucoepidermoid carcinoma (n=1) or carcinoid tumor (n=1) were excluded. The pathological stage was evaluated as IA, IB, II, IIIA, IIIB, and IV in 4, 1, 8, 8, 2, and 1 patient, respectively. Regarding post-operative complications, 4 patients required sputum aspiration with a bronchoscope from the 2nd to 7th post-operative day due to sputum retention. The 5-year survival rate in patients who underwent sleeve lobectomy was 70.0%. According to the pathological nodal status, the 5-year survival rates of N0, N1, and N2 were 100.0%, 87.5%, and 41.7%, respectively. The 5-year survival rates in squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma were 83.0% and 45.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Sleeve lobectomy facilitated the maintenance of residual lung function without serious perioperative complications. This finding suggests that patients with direct tumor invasion to the bronchus might be good candidates for a sleeve lobectomy, but not those with extra-nodal invasion.