BACKGROUND Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one the most common subtypes of non small cell lung cancer, yet the treatment options for it remain limited. Here, we report a case of advanced SCC and review the related literature focusing on the multiline therapy method. CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a 45-year-old man with advanced SCC who was deemed inoperable at the time of advanced SCC diagnosis. The patient had been referred to our hospital in April 2013 with complaints of a stuffy feeling in the chest, dyspnea, and pain in the right shoulder lasting for 1 mo. Physical examination found no obvious abnormalities, except for lower breath sound in the right lower lung. Laboratory data were within normal limits. Immunohistochemistry analysis of the tumor tissue showed CK5/6 (+), p63 (+), CD56 (+), and Ki-67 (+, approximately 30%), and genetic testing detected no EGFR mutation. He received a multiline treatment that included chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and antiangiogenic therapy. After more than 5-year comprehensive treatment, the patient remains alive. CONCLUSION This typical case highlights the importance of appropriate multiline therapy for those patients with advanced SCC.