AIM: Analyse the use of the Extra-Corporeal Circulation (ECC) in no-cardiac operations at the Clinica Universidad de Navarra MATERIAL OF STUDY: Between 1985 and 2009, the ECC has been involved in 28 operations for retroperitoneal tumour with inferior vena cava thrombus, in 43 isolated hyperthermic perfusion of a limb for locally advanced cancer and in 8 cases of chest mass with invasion of the pulmonary veins or bronchial carina. RESULTS: The intraoperative mortality for renal cancer has been of 7% while the 28% of patients showed a major complication. None patient died for the isolated hyperthermic perfusion and the 81% showed no toxicity. 1 patient out of 8 for chest mass died during the surgery for impossibility of weaning from the ECC. DISCUSSION: the ECC has been utilised in our experience mostly in cases of advanced cancer. It is an aggressive technique with a certain rate of complications. Nevertheless mid- and long-term results are encouraging. CONCLUSION: The ECC is the only technique in some advanced cancer in order to safely perform the mass removal. The precise co-ordination of the team is necessary to reduce the complication rate.