[Oncologic surgery--scope and status in surgery]

The primary goal of oncological surgery still consists of an operation which eradicates the tumor and results in an R0-resection. Comparing the various subspecialties in the different operative fields, oncological surgery unfolds its major activity in the area of visceral and thoracic surgery which is very similar in the related operative fields of gynecology and urology. Intraoperative radiation therapy is now established as an integral part of the treatment, as part of the multimodal chemotherapy currently used. Intraoperative radiation therapy offers a logical therapeutic concept in advanced tumor cases. The development of further improved prognostic factors and the addition of new molecular methods for diagnostics and therapy are probably the key future tasks in surgical oncology.