Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors with the highest incidence rate and mortality in the world today. Although significant progress has been made in the treatment of lung cancer, its 5-year survival rate is still very low. Ferroptosis is a cell death mode characterized by an increase in intracellular free iron, lipid peroxidation, and accumulation of reactive oxygen species. More and more evidence suggests that ferroptosis plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of lung cancer, and exploring the mechanism of ferroptosis in lung cancer is of great significance for finding new diagnostic and treatment methods for lung cancer. This article reviews the regulatory mechanism of cell ferroptosis and its role in the occurrence and development of lung cancer, with the aim of providing new directions and ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.