[Lymphadenectomy in surgery of bronchial carcinoma]

Since 1982 a total number of 1062 patients underwent surgical treatment of bronchogenic carcinoma. There were 972 men and 89 women, with a mean age of 62.5 years. In 484 cases a squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed and in 416 patients an adenocarcinoma. An alveolar cell carcinoma was found in 54 and a polymorphocellular carcinoma in 68 patients respectively. 334 patients were found to be in stage I, 233 in stage II and 438 patients were in stage IIIa. The 5-year survival rate was 57.2% in stage I and 32.5% in stage II. The group of patients with N2 lymph node metastasis according stage IIIa showed a very poor 5-year-survival rate of 12.3%. A standard therapeutical procedure according to a multimodal concept is necessary to improve these patients' long-term survival. Systemic lymphadenectomy is essential for adequate therapy.