[Pancoast's tumor. Symptoms, diagnosis and therapy].

Pancoast-tumor is a rare form of malignant tumor in the superior pulmonary sulcus. In our clinic out of 910 operated bronchial carcinomas 18 were Pancoast-tumors. The clinical findings with tumor of the apical lobe of the lung, shoulder-arm pain, Horner syndrome, rib destruction as well as neurological findings are discussed. The proper treatment consists of radical resection of the affected lobe, cranial thoracic wall and affected nerve tissue. The prognosis depends on the extension and lymph node metastases. Only early diagnosis, radical tumor-resection and postoperative radiation can improve prognosis and survival time.