Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of surgery with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for patients with a single synchronous brain metastasis from successfully treated non-small cell lung cancer.Methods: Between 1995 and 2002, 53 patients underwent resection of both primary non-small cell lung cancer and the associated single brain metastasis. There were 33 men and 20 women with a mean age of 57 years (range, 32(85 years). At the time of diagnosis, 42 patients experienced lung cancer related symptoms, whereas 11 patients experienced brain metastases-related symptoms. 42 patients had received thoracic surgery first, and 11 patients had undergone neurosurgery or radiosurgery first. Pneumonectomy was performed in 9 out of 42 patients (21.4%), lobectomies in 30 (71.4%), and wedge resection in 3 (7.2%). 48 patients (90.5%) underwent complete lymphadenectomy. 35 patients underwent brain metastasectomy. 18 underwent SRS.Results: There was no postoperative mortality and severe complications after either lung or brain surgery. Histology showed 34 adenocarcinomas, 16 squamous cell carcinomas, and 3 large cell lung cancers. 15 patients (28.3%) had no evidence of lymph node metastases (N0), 20 patients (37.7%) had hilar metastases (N1), and 18 patients (34%) had mediastinal metastases (N2). The 1-, 2-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 49%, 19%, 10%, and 5%, respectively. The corresponding data for neurosurgery group were 55%, 17%, 11%, and 6%, respectively. The median survival time was 13 months. For SRS group the corresponding data were 44.8%, 20.9% 10.5%, and 2%, respectively. The median survival time was 14 months. The differences between the two groups were not significant (P>0.05). In lymph node negative patients (N0), the overall 5-year survival rate was 10%, as compared with a 1% survival rate in patients with lymph node metastases (N1(2). The difference was significant (P0.05).Conclusion: Although the overall survival rate for patients who have brain metastases from NSCLC is poor, surgical resection or radiosurgery may be beneficial in a select group of patients with synchronous brain metastases and lung cancer without lymph node metastases.