Gefitinib is an orally active, highly selective, reversible inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase domain associated with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). EGFR gene mutations, never smoking status, Asian origin and adenocarcinoma histology are associated with good clinical responses to geftinib. Geftinib has generally been tried in the setting of chemotherapy refractory disease in patients who have failed at least one line of therapy. Trials are exploring use of geftinib as first line therapy in patients harboring EGFR mutations and also in the elderly. The most exciting feature of geftinib use is its potential for Lazarus responses in patients with poor performance status. Its use is associated with little toxicity. The success of geftinib suggests that it is important to understand the basic mechanisms underlying lung cancer in order to evolve better therapies. The review has been prepared after conducting extensive PubMed and Medline search for related articles.