The 100th annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) took place in Denver on 18-22 April 2009 which brought together over 17,000 researchers from basic, translational and clinical cancer studies who exchanged and discussed recent advances in many areas of major interest. The meeting showcases the latest research trends in oncology and the related medical science. It covered a variety of different topics ranging from basic research to exploration of currently unknown pathogenesis and mechanisms for specific cancers. As the most prevalent type of lung cancer, reports on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comprised a significant part of the meeting. A number of studies looked at the molecular biology of NSCLC patients with or without smoking history. Moreover, findings on the therapeutic effects of current and investigational drugs for NSCLC were also important topics. This meeting report aims to provide the readers with a summary of the research highlights on NSCLC in smokers and non-smokers presented in the AACR annual meeting 2009.