Lung cancers are highly heterogeneous and resistant to available therapeutic agents, with a five-year survival rate of less than 15%. Despite significant advances in our knowledge of the genetic alterations and aberrations in lung cancer, it has been difficult to determine the basis of lung cancer's heterogeneity and drug resistance. Cancer stem cell model has attracted a significant amount of attention in recent years as a viable explanation for the heterogeneity, drug resistance, dormancy, recurrence and metastasis of various tumors. At the same time, cancer stem cells have been relatively less characterized in lung cancers. This review summarizes the current understanding of lung cancer stem cells, including their molecular features and signaling pathways that drive their stemness. This review also discusses the prognosis of lung cancer and its relationship with lung cancer stem cell, in an effort to eradicate these cells to combat lung cancer.