Questions raised during gemcitabine development reflect non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) history during last 10 years. Third generation therapies (gemcitabine, vinorelbine and taxanes) combined with platinium compounds are now to be prescribed in almost all clinical situations, from surgically removed tumors to metastatic diseases. The 30% response rate usually reported in advanced disease (with a median survival of 10 months) has to be improved and a more global approach is nowadays mandatory, including targeted agents. This review sum-up the clinical situations in which gemcitabine can be prescribed (advanced disease), or shall be prescribed (adjuvant setting, combination with anti-angiogenic agent or EGFR inhibitors), and highlight opening questions.