In recent years no cancer therapeutic class has undergone more prolific or successful drug development efforts than the kinase inhibitors. The robust research interest is evident in the number of kinase inhibitor presentations at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting held in Denver (CO, USA) 18-22 April 2009. Presentation highlights from the Kinase Inhibitor 4 Minisymposium include the identification of FGF receptor genetic alterations that correlate with sensitivity to the kinase inhibitor TKI258; evaluation of activity of mitotic kinase inhibitors GSK461364A and AZD1152 in breast and small-cell lung cancer and the identification of new inhibitors to PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.