[Surgical therapy of bronchial cancer]

Over the last decades the medical and social importance of bronchial carcinoma has increased because of its incidence and poor prognosis. Until recently only surgery has offered the chance of a cure for non-small-cell lung cancer with a 5-year-survival of 25%. Today with the development of tissue-sparing techniques curative treatment is accessible also to patients with limited lung function and centrally located tumors.