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The classical notions of tumor diagnosis (classification and diagnostic accuracy) as well as the generally accepted criteria for evaluating the success of the tumor therapy (mortality graphs, survival time and remission) are submitted to a critical examination. It is found that the actual version of these notions and criteria can cause serious errors in diagnosis and valuation. It seems therefore indispensable to complete and correct these generally used notions. However important scientifically founded and precisely defined parameters for tumor therapy and its valuation may be, one must never forget on the other hand that the treatment of a tumor patient is an individual problem and that the most important task of the oncologist remains to give psychological guidance to every single patient.

Cancer screening techniques are of great value in improving the results of treatment of various tumours. Unfortunately screening and early diagnosis of cancers does not improve the prognosis in every case. Early diagnosis may lead to an apparent success without affecting the final outcome of treatment. Early diagnosis may even be harmful to the patient if the diagnostic and therapeutic methods lead to dissemination of the tumour, as has been shown by a number of authors. Consequently cancer screening and early diagnosis should be confined to those selected tumours which are not affected adversely by diagnostic methods.

Is seems indispensable, in consideration of the present investigation results, to revise our actual therapeutic conception for cancer therapy! While palliative cancer therapy was greatly successful, it was not possible to obtain any decisive improvement of cancer recovery rates (in relation to similar stages or tumor volumes), in spite of all the therapeutic endeavour through the last twenty or twenty-five years. From almost 3000 analyses of metastatic growth and from numerous other experimental or clinical observations results as an explication that surgical treatment itself, on certain conditions, may release a relatively great number of metastases. Thus, the failure of our therapeutical endeavor is programmed, too, by the treatment! Consequences for diagnostics, precautions and therapy are discussed.

One of the most important measures for the improvement in curative cancer therapy, stagnant during 25 years, will be a cancer prophylaxis as extensive, intensified and directed as possible. Seventy percent of all the cancerous diseases are produced by seven cancer species. Of these seven species, four are appropriate for a promising cancer prophylaxis: the mammary, uterine and intestinal catzinoma in women, the intestinal carcinoma in men. Risks as well as improvements concerning prophylaxic examination for cancer of the breast or prostatic carcinoma are discussed in detail.

Two measures are urgently needed to improve curative therapy results in cancer treatment. 1. Improvements in the early recognition of specific types of tumor and in appropriate modes of preventitive treatment.--2. The introduction of a metastasis prophylaxis before each diagnostic and therapeutic operation for cancer; several possibilities are proposed. The stagnation of cancer therapy results can only be overcome by an alteration in the current concept of treatment, which in cases of early cancer is as yet directed exclusively at the primary tumor.

The possibilities of radiotherapy in attending malignant diseases are critically examined. A summary of technical possibilities of radiotherapy ist given. The advantages of high energy radiotherapy are discussed. Preparation and performance of radiotherapy are demonstrated. A critical examination of chemotherapy ist followed by invitation to elaborate a new method of validity.