Crizotinib has been reported to be particularly effective and to have acceptable toxicity in advanced anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this study, we analyzed the efficacy and tolerability of crizotinib in the treatment of 72 Chinese patients with ALK-positive, advanced NSCLC. All patients received oral crizotinib 250 mg twice daily in 28-day cycles during the period June 1, 2013, to October 15, 2014. The tumor response was assessed after the first cycle of crizotinib and then after every two cycles using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), version 1.0. Tolerability was assessed at least twice per cycle until crizotinib was discontinued. The patients tended to be young (mean age 55 years, range 31-83 years), never or light smokers (smoking index <400), and to have an adenocarcinoma histology. Most (49/72; 68.1 %) had received previous anticancer treatment before crizotinib therapy. Sixty-seven patients (93 %) were able to be assessed for efficacy. The objective response rate and disease control rate were 52.2 % (95 % CI 40.5-63.9 %) and 64.2 % (95 % CI 52.75-75.7 %), respectively. The estimated median progression-free survival for all 67 patients was 10.3 months (95 % CI 8.6-12.0 months). Mild visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation were the most commonly reported adverse effects. Thus, crizotinib was well tolerated and showed promising efficacy in Chinese patients with ALK-positive, advanced NSCLC. Further prospective, multicenter studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm these findings.