[Histological subtypes of bronchial carcinoma and their biological behavior]

The WHO classification of pulmonary tumors, Geneva 1981, is used to describe the biological and morphological characteristics of the various types of bronchial tumors. The differences in frequency are noted for clinical biopsy material and autopsy statistics for squamous-epithelium cancers and small-cell bronchial carcinomas. The latter are incorrectly seen as undifferentiated cancers. Their particular hormonal activity and leading role among the hormone-producing lung tumors is emphasized. Their relationship to the carcinoids is also discussed briefly. The causes of the relatively common adrenal metastases are listed. The biological-morphological characteristics of the adeno- and bronchiolo-alveolar cancers, as well as of the giant-cell carcinomas, are mentioned.