[Cerebral metastases manifesting as bronchopulmonary carcinoma (small-cell cancers excluded). The surgeon's viewpoint].

Within the last 20 years, 16 patients have undergone surgery for solitary intracerebral tumours revealing asymptomatic broncho-pulmonary cancer for which they all underwent subsequent operations without operative mortality or morbidity. One patient who was operated upon at the age of 39 is still alive without recurrence 11 years after removal of an intracranial metastasis, and 9 years after successful lobectomy for a mixed bronchopulmonary carcinoma (adenocarcinoma and a squamous cell carcinoma). This patient received no adjuvant treatment. The other 15 patients had survivals varying from 2 to 18 months. The treatment of bronchial carcinoma and its metastases is a complex problem, in particular as regards the indication for surgery, which for most patients is the only means of improving survival and, in exceptional cases, securing prolonged remission.