Patients with second primary lung cancer (SPLC) have a heterogeneous background. The optimum modality of treatment for SPLC patients has not yet been determined. The objective of this study was to attempt to identify the value of less vigorous therapies such as segmentectomy or video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in SPLC. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 46 patients who underwent resection for SPLC in Fukuoka University Hospital between January 1994 and April 2005. Patients were separated into two groups (LVT: less vigorous therapy including segmentectomy or VATS lobectomy; LCT: lobectomy with conventional thoracotomy). The characteristics of each group were evaluated and survival rates were analyzed at 5 years after surgery. The mean amount of blood loss was found to be significantly different ( P = 0.0062) with 59.44 +/- 14.00 ml for LVT cases and 254.48 +/- 63.62 ml for LCT. None of the LVT patients experienced postoperative complications. The 5-year survival rate was 62.7 % for LVT and 57.7 % for LCT. There was no significant difference in survival rates between these groups. Although differences were seen in the characteristics, less invasive surgery such as VATS or segmentectomy may be a feasible treatment for SPLC.