[Bronchus cancer - surgery].

Of 9,000 patients with bronchus carcinoma observed during 1958-1980, 3.041 (33%) underwent resection. Although in principle the standard operations are lobectomy for the peripheral and bilobectomy or pneumonectomy for the central carcinoma, parenchyma-saving operations such as clamping or segmental resection or main bronchus resection are justified under certain conditions; however, here all regional lymph nodes have to be removed again. We consider the surgical indication of small-celled carcinoma like any other form of bronchus carcinoma. For stage I, the 5-year survival chance is 40% - 50%, for all stages only 20%. Extended resections including pericardium, large vessels, thoracic wall, trachea, upper thoracic aperture, are justified especially in symptomatic cases, although the 5-year survival rate is less than 10% in these cases.