Background and AimsLung cancer is a multifactorial disease. Xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD) and X-ray repair cross-complementing 1 (XRCC1) genes are 2 important susceptibility genes related to lung cancer. In this study, we explored the correlation between genetic polymorphisms in XPD and XRCC1 and the risk of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the East Chinese Han population. We also investigated risk factors associated with non-small cell lung cancer in this population. MethodsWe conducted a case control study in 120 NSCLC patients and 120 healthy controls. The NSCLC patients were further divided into three subgroups, squamous carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and other type of cancer, according to tumor histology. No patients had undergone any treatment. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism technologies were applied to detect the distribution of XPD-751, XRCC1-194 and XRCC1-399 genes in all patients. ResultsThe results showed significant gene frequency differences for all three genes between patients with NSCLC and control patients. Significantly different frequencies of XPD-751-Gln, XRCC-194-Trp and XRCC1-399-Gln mutant alleles were observed between the two groups. XPD-751SNP and XRCC1-194SNP frequencies varied among the three lung cancer groups, while the frequency of XRCC1-399SNP did not differ significantly. ConclusionsThe results suggested that genetic polymorphisms in XPD-751, XRCC1-194 and XRCC1-399 were related to the risk of NSCLC, among which XPD-751SNP was responsible for adenocarcinoma, while XRCC1-194SNP was closely linked to squamous carcinoma. Smoking and XRCC1-194SNP were risk factors of NSCLC.