[Surgical treatment of lung cancer. Actual situation and perspective (author's transl)].

Resection by pneumonectomy or lobectomy is the treatment of choice in lung cancer. At the Robert-Roessle-Clinic the 5-year survival rates have been improved by this method of treatment from 21% (120 of 570 cases) in the period 1949--1961 to 34% (163 of 498 cases) in the period 1962-1968. The increased survival is due, above all, to earlier detection by annual x-ray mass screening. The same conclusions could be drawn with regard to the results of a cooperative study of 17 chest clinics in the GDR reporting about more than, 11 000 operated cases. To guarantee and to improve this high level of detection and treatment of lung cancer the reorganization of the screening procedure with regard to high risk groups in man is necessary.