[Exploratory thoracotomy in surgery of lung cancer]

An account is given in this paper of results obtained from radiotherapy and combined therapy in cases of regionally spreading carcinoma of the lung. Exploratory thoracotomy was definitely found to be accompanied by a minimum of complications (4.8 +/- 1.2 per cent) and low lethality (1.7 +/- 0.7 per cent). Complete remission, lasting more than 36 months, was recorded from 15.4 +/- 7.2 per cent of exploratively thoracotomised patients, following radically programmed radiotherapy. Extensive surgery, combined with preoperative and/or postoperative radiotherapy, was found to be practicable in cases of epidermoid lung carcinoma with metastases in mediastinal lymph nodes.