[Clinical and endoscopic diagnosis of bronchogenic cancer]

Incidence of bronchogenic cancer has increased steadily over the past three decades. In spite of many advances in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, unselected groups have a 5-year survival rate of about 5% compared to 2% previously. The most valuable methods are related to the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope and the mediastinoscope along with a variety of biopsy techniques for the preoperative assessment (staging, grading, typing). Our present diagnostic techniques do not permit the early detection of lung cancer. This may become possible with the discovery of new tumor markers, tumor-specific fluorescence and radioisotopes combined with fiberoptic bronchoscopy.