[Oncologic viewpoints of surgical and internal medicine cooperation]

Chemotherapy is the treatment of first choice in small cell lung cancer. Retrospective analysis and preliminary results of prospective studies demonstrate that an additional local treatment will increase the incidence of two years recurrence free survival. This role would be taken over by surgical resection for patients with the very limited stages I and II. Surgery has the advantage as compared to radiotherapy of exact exploration of the thorax and analysis of lung tissue after chemotherapy. Furthermore side effects of radiotherapy to these organs would be avoided. Because of the higher possibility of distant metastases local surgery should be performed as an adjuvant procedure to chemotherapy.