[Imaging of non-small-cell pulmonary tumors. Therapeutic strategy]

In this work the imagery of non-small cell primary bronchial cancers are reviewed. The standard chest x-ray of the thorax remains irreplaceable for the early detection of these pathologies. On the other hand, progress in imagery has propelled thoracic computed tomographic scanning to the pole position for assessing the local and regional extension of the disease as well as for distance spread of these cancers. The latest developments with spiral CT have again improved the performance of CT scanning. Magnetic resonance imaging has a few precisely defined roles in assessing the extension of bronchopulmonary cancers. In particular with involvement of the apices, the chest wall and in the extension into the cardiovascular system. In this article the emphasis is on the illustration of non-small cell bronchial cancers on computed tomography and on magnetic resonance imaging.