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Background and objective It has been proved that the chemotherapy respouse was related to the expression levels of tumor genes in lung cancer. The aim of this study was to explor the relationship of ERCC1, RRM1 expression and the benefits from postoperative cisplatin combined with gemcitabine (GP) chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods All 57 postoperative patients with stage Ⅱ-Ⅳ NSCLC were entered into the study, and 39 cases of patients were at least received 2 cycles of cisplatin combind with gemcitabine chemotherapy, 18 cases with no chemotherapy. Immunohistochemistry was performed in paraffin embedded tumor specimens to investigate ERCC1, RRM1 expression. Cox proportional regression analysis was used to screen independent prognostic risk factors for survival. Comparisons of the median survival time among groups were based on Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results Cox regression analyses showed that the extent of tumor resection, chemotherapy after surgical resection and expressionsof ERCC1 were independent prognostic factors. In the group of high expression of ERCC1, the median survival time of postoperative chemotherapy patients and control were 42 and 12 months respectively (P =0.018). In the group with low expression of ERCC1, the median survival time of postoperative chemotherapy patients and control were 23 and 21 months respectively (P =0.088). However, In the group of high expression of RRM1, the median survival time of postoperativechemotherapy patients and control were 28 and 21 months respectively (P =0.092). In the group with low expression of RRM1, the median survival time of postoperative chemotherapy patients and control were 42 and 22 months respectively (P =0.010). Conclusion The NSCLC patients with high expression of ERCC1 and low expression of RRM1 get more probablely benefits from postoperative cisplatin combine gemcitabine chemotherapy.