[Lung cancer]

Although various benign and malignant tumors can occur in the bronchi and lungs, lung cancer is by far the most common tumor and the leading cause of tumor death worldwide. For therapeutic reasons lung cancer is classified currently as small cell (SCLC) or non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The main cause is smoking. There are no specific symptoms that enable early detection. Staging is according to the international TNM-system. As the results of therapy to date are disappointing and many questions remain unsolved, as many patients as possible should be included in further prospective trials. In SCLC polychemotherapy is mandatory; in local tumor stages radiotherapy should be combined early on with chemotherapy, and in cases of complete remission, prophylactic cranial irradiation is indicated. In operable stages of NSCLC adjuvant chemotherapy demonstrates a survival benefit. In locally advanced NSCLC, radiochemotherapy is now the standard of care. Advanced stages require chemotherapy usually with two drugs, second-line chemotherapy is indicated in cases of relapse.