Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the biggest cancer killers in the world today. Surgery remains the primary therapy for patients with operable disease. Many patients with late stage NSCLC choose not to seek chemotherapy, believing there is little that can be done to extend their lifespan once the options of surgery and radiotherapy are ruled out. However, the introduction of new drug classes in recent years has brought about a change in the role of chemotherapy for the treatment of NSCLC. Drug treatment which was once seen as only palliative is now considered to be potentially curative. Experts at the 9th International Congress on Anti-Cancer Treatment [Paris, France; February 1999] reported various chemotherapy combinations under investigation for the treatment of this deadly cancer.