Lung Cancer: A Bronchoscopic Approach

The unfavourable epidemiological data of lung cancer has not been changed during the past ten years. The only possibility to cure this malignancy is surgical resection. The five year survival rate after surgery is highly dependent on early discovery of the tumor. Today, bronchoscopy plays a central role in the diagnosis staging and therapy of lung cancer. The main indications of diagnostic bronchoscopy are the identification of the tumor and the determination of its extent. The aim of therapeutic bronchoscopy - laser photocoagulation, high dose rate afterloading irradiation and stent implantation - is to provide an acceptable quality of life and to manage symptoms such as bleeding, cough and dyspnea.