Abstract: Objective To explore the significance of peripheral serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in preoperative staging of patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer. Methods Fifty patients, including 30 males and 20 females, with complete clinical data and final pathological diagnosis of nonsmall cell lung cancer were treated in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital from September 2006 to November 2007. Their age ranged from 36 to 76 years old (62.4±10.0 years old). Among the patients, there were 26 patients of adenocarcinoma, 23 patients of squamous cell carcinoma and one patient of large cell carcinoma. Twenty other normal subjects were chosen to form normal control, including 11 males and 9 females, aged from 18 to 67 years old (43.8±14.2 years old). Peripheral serum HGF and TGF-β were measured with enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the relationship between the level of HGF, TGF-β and preoperative staging was analyzed. Results The peripheral serum HGF and TGF-β level has no relation with patient’s age, sex, smoking history or histology type. The level of HGF in the T2 and T3 patients was significantly higher than that of normal control (373.90±234.00 pg/ml vs. 211.30±154.60 pg/ml, t=2.759, P=0008; 563.80±316.10 pg/ml vs. 211.30±154.60 pg/ml, t=4076, P=0.000). The level of TGF-β in the T-3 patients was significantly higher than that of normal control (3.34±2.80 ng/ml vs. 1.82±0.90 ng/ml, t=2.190, P=0.037). The level of TGF-β in the N1-2 patients was significantly higher than that of the N0 patients (2.60±2.00 ng/ml vs. 1.53±0.74 ng/ml, t=-2.387, P=0.021). TGF-β level (5.97±2.65 ng/ml) in patients with distant metastasis (stage Ⅳ) was significantly higher than that of patients in other stages. Conclusion The HGF and TGF-β level is related to the staging of lung cancer. Such examinations combined before operation may present a reference value for preoperative staging and providing the best treatment plan for the patients.