[Clinical aspects of bronchial cancer]

The most frequent cause of death of the male is cancer of the lungs. The prognosis is still unfavourable. The cases of patients having survived for 5 years amount altogether to not more than 5%, as far as operated patients are concerned, the quota amounts to 20-25%; in cases of early detection of cancer, however, the rates are up to 40%. Precaution and preventive care (reduction of cigarette consumption) is at present not possible. Considerable time is being wasted because of the uncharacteristic and gradually proceeding symptoms and misinterpretations of the X-ray findings. The bronchial carcinoma can imitate any other disease of the lungs. Even a normal X-ray picture does not exclude carcinoma. The observation of acute symptoms appearing for the first time and of those already existing, but changing suddenly, is essential. Exclusive treatments are dangerous. Any X-ray finding of the lungs should be followed up to all bronchological details. A "normal" X-ray picture, accompanied by clinical symptoms, requires basic diagnostic measures including bronchoscopy.