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PET scanning plays key roles in planning the management of patients with lung cancer who are candidates for curative-intent treatment with radiotherapy and has contributed to improvements in survival. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose–PET is the most important modality for staging, patient selection, and radiotherapy target volume definition in patients with unresectable non–small cell lung cancer. Developments include the availability of alternative tracers, such as 18F-fluorothymidine, for imaging proliferation and a range of hypoxia imaging agents. The role of response-adapted therapy, based on interim PET scans performed during the treatment course, is being explored as a way of improving local disease control.