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Introduction and importance Pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung is a rare malignant epithelial tumor. Due to its rarity, its clinicopathological characteristics are not clear, and there is no defined therapeutic path for this type of tumor. Case presentation We retrospectively analyzed the medical and pathological reports of 8 patients who underwent surgical resection for pleomorphic carcinoma between 2007 and 2010. Clinical discussion Eight patients were analyzed (7 males and 1 female, mean age 60). All patients underwent CT scans, and the average diameter of the nodules was 56 mm. Four patients were also investigated with FDG-PET with hypermetabolic activity in all four cases. In four patients, the carcinomatous component was adenocarcinoma (all with sarcomatoid component of spindle cell and giant cell carcinoma), although in two patients, it was squamous cell carcinoma (one with spindle cell and one with giant cell). In the two remaining patients, one showed a non-small cell carcinoma with giant cell carcinoma, and the other was a non-small cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma with spindle and giant cell carcinoma. All cases were treated with surgical resection. Only two patients underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy. At the time of data analysis, only one patient treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy was alive. Conclusion The prognosis for these patients with a diagnosis of pleomorphic carcinoma undergoing surgery is generally better than those not treated with surgical resection, however the survival remains poor. Although with low number of patients, our research would suggest to consider neoadjuvant chemotherapy an appropriate approach for improving the outcomes before surgery., Highlights • Pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung • Rare malignant epithelial tumor • Clinicopathological characteristics unclear • Not defined therapeutic path • Neoadiuvant chemotherapy improves the prognosis.