OBJECTIVE: To explain the help of economic analyses in the understanding of lung cancer (LC) management with a description of the quality of selected papers. METHODS: In the first part, quality criteria of economic analyses are depicted with the key words for the literature selection. RESULTS: The global costs of LC through literature review are depicted; then, in a second part, the costs of each stage of the disease. Finally, costs of chemotherapeutic drugs and target molecules are also discussed. CONCLUSION: Economic analyses are unavoidable to assess the burden of the disease but also the cost of each management strategy for LC.