Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of human mitochondrial transcription termi-nation factor-3 ( hMTERF3) in non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLS) and to analyze its clinicopathological significance. Methods The paraffin block samples used in this study included 65 cases of NSCLC and 32 cases of normal alveolar epithelial tissues. We determined the expressions of hMTERF3 in NSCLC and normal alveolar epithelial tis-sues by immunohistochemistry, calculate the survival rate using the Kaplan-Meier method, and analyzed the risk factors affecting the prognosis of NSCLC using the Cox Proportional Hazard Model. Results In the 65 cases of NSCLC, 31 ( 47. 69%) showed positive expression of hMTERF3. The total survival time was significantly shor-ter in the patients with a high than in those with a low hMTERF3 ex-pression ([30.39±3.35] vs [57.61±7.12] mo, P<0.05). The riskfactors affecting the prognosis of NSCLC included positive expression of hMTERF3 (HR=3.302, 95% CI:1.598-6.905) and lymph node metastasis (HR=4.052, 95% CI: 1.212-12.398). Conclusion hMTERF3 is overexpressed in NSCLC. Highly expressed hMTERF3 and lymph node metastasis reduce the survival time of NSCLC patients, suggesting that hMTERF3 may be a potential bio-marker for the prognosis of NSCLC.