With the advances in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy over the last decades, the treatment strategies of lung cancer has been largely changed. In this review, we summarize recent advances in lung cancer and treatment research. We discuss current clinical management, highlight stage-specific therapy approaches, chemotherapy options for advanced-stage of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, along with new agents such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeting tyrosine kinase inhibitors erlotinib and gefitinib, and the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor crizotinib. We also give an outlook into NSCLC disease biology, focuse on the importance of EGFR activating mutations and the role of the tumor-microenvironment. Finally we summarize the new recommendations in treating small-cell-lung cancer (SCLC).