[Assessment of preserving resections in broncho-pulmonary carcinoma (author's transl)]

Postulating that sufficient radicality in operative treatment of all forms of broncho-pulmonary carcinoma is only guaranteed by lobectomy or pneumonectomy 80% of the patients will be inoperable due to anatomical or functional reasons. From the surgical and technical point of view this number can hardly be changed. However, functional limits could be overcome by the use of segmental or subsegmental methods of resection in adequate cases of tumor localization. 88 patients, who had segmental or subsegmental resection more than five years ago were reinvestigated. Out of these patients, one had died postoperatively, 43% had died of their primary tumor disease and 17% of other diseases. 40% had survived the follow-up period. 60% of our patients with tumor stage T1N0 were still alive after 3.5 years. Considering the lack of alternative treatment limited lung resection can be of real advantage when applied critically.