[General problems in the diagnosis of cancer]

Cancer distingishes itself from other chronic diseases in internal medicine by the chance of complete and constant cure in "early" recognition and treatment. The well-timed diagnosis, therefore, is decisive for the fate of the patient. This increases the responsibility of the internist. Early recongnitionof the cancer by well planned medical check-up meets with close boundaries and is nowadays only justified for malignant tumours of the cervix uteri, the mammary gland, the stomach and the lung. The dispensary care of risk groups favours the higher quality of the work of the physician, but is not able to reduce decisively the problem. The dispensary care has important functions in the field of health education and thus also aims at the primary prevention. Quick and relevant diagnostics in complaints is at present and in near future the most important way to the recognition of cancer in the curable stage. Careful general examination of the body and aimed questioning after danger signals independent of the reason of the consultation may improve the situation. Apart from the recognition of the cancer the disribution diagnostics and the judgment of the general resistance to stress are responsible tasks of the internist.