[Bronchial carcinoma. Epidemiology, diagnosis and therapy]

Bronchial carcinoma still has a dark prognosis and therapeutic progress remains painfully slow: the 5-year survival rate raised in the last 20 years from 11 to 15%. There are no early symptoms by the tumor and detection by screening is not effective. Worldwide incidence is raising, the falling rates in men in the western world have been compensated by a steep increase in eastern Europe an Asia. Cigarette smoking is in 85% the main cause of this epidemic. Better understanding of genetic predisposition may identify patients at higher risk. Tumor in stage IA-IIB of non small cell carcinoma could gain by neoadjuvant chemotherapy, what is more probable for stage IIA and IIIB. Radiation therapy in combination with chemotherapy improves survival in inoperable stage IIIB. In stage IV disease palliative chemotherapy is superior to best supportive care.