Abstract: Objective 　To study the expression of a novel inhibitor gene of apoptosis, survivin, in non-small-cell lung cancer and its relationship with the expression of p53, bcl-2 genes. Methods 　Using streptavidin-biotin peroxidase (SP) method, we examined the expression of survivin, p53 and bcl-2 genes in 76 NSCLC tumor samples and the expression of survivin gene in 30 adjacent normal lung tissue samples. Results 　survivin was expressed in 46 of 76 (60. 5 %) cases of lung cancer but was not expressed in 30 cases of adjacent normal lung tissues. There was no relationship between survivin gene expression and age, sex, cigarette smoking, histologic subtyre, differentiation, tumor size, lymph node metastases, or TNM Stages. survivin positive cases were st rongly associated with p53 expression (33/ 46, 71. 7 % versus 13/ 30 43. 3 %, P < 0. 05) and bcl-2 expression (36/ 38, 94. 7 % versus 10/ 38 26. 3 %, P < 0. 01) . Conclusion s 　The survivin gene was expression in a vast majority of NSCLC, it also has a great relationship with the expression of p53 and bcl-2. survivin gene may play a role in the pathway of carcinogenesis and be identified as a defining diagnostic marker and a potential therapeutic target in NSCLC.