The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT)
Despite many advances in recent decades, cancer continues to be a major health challenge in Germany, Europe and worldwide. In Germany alone, half a million citizens are newly diagnosed with cancer every year. The main causes are growing and aging societies, lifestyles and environmental factors.
At the same time, cancer research is constantly producing new findings on how to better diagnose and treat cancer. In order for patients to benefit from this at an early stage, close networking between research and care is necessary. As part of the National Decade against Cancer, which was proclaimed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) at the beginning of 2019, further locations of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) are to be established in Germany so that patients have access to innovative treatment approaches throughout the country.
The NCT is supported by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the respective university medicine and other outstanding research partners at various locations in Germany. Each NCT site will be linked to all competencies and infrastructures of the DKFZ in Heidelberg and vice versa. The same applies to the integration with the local Comprehensive Cancer Centers, CCC (Oncological Centers of Excellence) and University Medicine. This cooperative approach will make it possible to tap the research potential in Germany even further.
Expansion by four new sites
At the NCT, cutting-edge research and innovative cancer therapy are closely linked so that patients have early access to promising treatment approaches. In this way, new findings from the laboratory quickly reach the patient's bedside and, conversely, new knowledge from medical care flows back into research. Heidelberg has been the first location of the NCT since 2004, Dresden the second location since 2015.
As part of the National Decade Against Cancer, the BMBF is funding the expansion of up to four further NCT sites in Germany. In order to participate in the selection process, the sites had to demonstrate previous experience as a multidisciplinary center for translational oncology and excellence in research and care. The BMBF announced its decision on the four potential site candidates in 2020. The Ministry followed the recommendation of an international panel of experts. In the subsequent strategy phase, a concept and an implementation plan for the expanded NCT were drawn up by all parties involved. This process ended at the beginning of 2023 with the final announcement of the new NCT sites - Berlin, SouthWest (Tübingen/Stuttgart-Ulm), WERA (Würzburg with the partners Erlangen, Regensburg and Augsburg) and West (Essen/Cologne) - by the BMBF.
Comprehensive patient involvement
The NCT is the first research institution in Germany to introduce patient participation in cancer research at all levels. Patient representatives were already involved in the working groups during the concept phase. National and local patient advisory boards firmly anchor patient participation in the structure of the NCT.
Fast and fair access to studies
An academic platform for clinical research of international standing will be established at each of the six NCT sites, which will be jointly supported by the DKFZ and the participating university hospitals. This will create highly specialized clinical study centers that will provide patients with fast and fair access to innovative therapies.
The focus of the expanded NCT is on non-commercial, science-driven clinical trials (Investigator Initiated Trials, IITs). This is also intended to close the gap that exists in Germany between preclinical research and late-stage clinical trials.