[Limits of cancer surgery]

Cancer patients show special characteristics which the doctor has to know. The therapy is based on the knowledge of the course of common forms of cancer. The documentation, classification and stratification of these forms of cancer is the basis for therapeutic decisions. The latter especially depends on an assessment of probabilities amongst which the quality of life plays a major role. In the advanced stage it is the control of symptoms, the relief of pain and the encouragement of social rehabilitation that are important. The experiences in the treatment of 129 patients over a period of 3 years are described.