[Diagnosis and surgical treatment of bronchial carcinoma - a report on 1000 cases (author's transl)]

Abstract

One thousand cases of bronchial carcinoma, which had been treated in the Chirurgische Universitätsklinik Erlangen in 17 years, are reported. 63,2% were either primarily inoperable or found to be so after an exploratory laparotomy; Only 32,4% of all patients were admitted in the first 3 months, 17,6% after more than 12 months, Squamous epithelial carcinoma was the most frequent histological type (51,2%), then came small cell carcinoma (16,4%), dedifferentiated carcinoma (5,1%) and adenocarcinoma (4,1%). The best results of operative treatment were obtained with lobectomy in Stage I with a five year survival rate of 45%. In Stage II, pneumonectomy is the satisfactory operation (no five year cure with lobectomy, but 25,2% with pneumonectomy). Exploratory thoracotomy does not shorten the life expectancy and it should therefore be performed in doubtful cases.