Over the past decade, gradual progress has been made in improving the outcomes of patients with lung cancer. This review summarizes the findings from selected studies presented at the recently concluded 45th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. This report will focus only on findings that are of immediate relevance to clinical practice. The topics discussed here range from the long-term safety of adjuvant chemotherapy and a new systemic chemotherapy regimen for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer to the emerging issue of maintenance chemotherapy and the use of biomarkers in the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.