Statistical simulations have consistently demonstrated that new dose-escalation designs such as accelerated titration design (ATD) and continual reassessment method (CRM)-type designs outperform the standard "3+3" design in phase I cancer clinical trials. We evaluated the actual efficiency of different dose escalation methods employed in first-in-human phase I clinical trials of targeted agents administered as single agents published over the last decade. Forty-nine per cent of the 84 retrieved trials used the standard "3+3" design. Newer designs used included ATD in 42%, modified CRM mCRM in 7%, and pharmacologically guided dose escalation in 1%. The median numbers of dose levels explored in trials using "3+3", ATD and mCRM designs were 6, 8 and 10, respectively. More strikingly, the mean MTD to starting dose ratio appeared to be at least twice as high for trials using mCRM or ATD designs as for trials using a standard "3+3" design. Despite this, the mean number of patients exposed to a dose below the MTD was similar in trials using "3+3", ATD and mCRM designs. Our results support a more extensive implementation of innovative dose escalation designs such as mCRM and ATD in phase I cancer clinical trials of molecularly targeted agents.