I have reviewed the literature concerning the effect of postoperative sepsis on survival following resection for carcinoma of the bronchus and added to this my experience over a 12 year period. Surgeons agree that because of its morbidity and the morbidity of measures necessary for its treatment, postoperative empyema is to be avoided, but many still hope that some compensation might be afforded the unfortunate sufferer by improvement in long-term survival. I have not found this to be the case and I feel that statistical evidence favors this view.