20 years of the multidisciplinary cancer center at Dresden University Hospital

Since 2003, the former University Cancer Center (UCC) and today's National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT/UCC) at the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden has treated more than 120,000 patients and made over 150,000 treatment recommendations in interdisciplinary medical conferences - tumor boards.The close link between interdisciplinary patient care, patient-oriented cancer research and teaching was and is groundbreaking.To mark the anniversary, an exhibition invites visitors to discover modern cancer therapy and cancer research as reflected in art.A ceremony was held today, Monday, August 21, in the presence of Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer and Saxony's Science Minister Sebastian Gemkow.

For 20 years, patients in Dresden have benefited from treatment at a specialized center that offers the entire spectrum of oncological expertise and technology in patient care and research. The successful work of the center is also reflected in the satisfaction of those treated: In regular patient surveys, the rate of those who would recommend the center to others is over 90 percent.

"The founding of the Cancer Center at the University Hospital in Dresden two decades ago was a wise and far-sighted decision. The treatment of cancer patients, cancer research and the training of young doctors are closely interlinked here. This also provides better opportunities for new approaches in the prevention, early detection and treatment of tumors. In fact, Dresden has developed into an outstanding location for cancer research and cancer medicine in Germany. Patients far beyond Dresden benefit from the progress and knowledge gained here," says Minister President Michael Kretschmer.

The UCC was founded in 2003 based on the international model of the Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCC) of the University Hospital Carl Gustav Dresden and the Medical Faculty of the TU Dresden. As the first center of its kind to be founded solely on the initiative of university medicine in Germany, it was one of the pioneers in Germany of consistently interdisciplinary care for cancer patients that was interlinked with cancer research. As a result, Dresden was appointed the second location of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) in Germany in 2015. The associated long-term funding from the federal government and the Free State of Saxony enabled the excellent structures of patient-oriented cancer research to be further strengthened.

Today's National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT/UCC) combines patient care at the cutting edge of scientific knowledge with practical research at the highest international level across institutional boundaries. It combines the strengths of the four supporting institutions - the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Dresden University Hospital, the Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine at TU Dresden and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR).

"We are pleased and proud of the development of the center. When we gave the go-ahead for what was then an extremely ambitious project in 2003, we could not be sure whether the model would be accepted by patients and experts alike. Today, we can see that with the establishment of the Dresden Cancer Center, we have succeeded in improving interdisciplinary patient care and advancing oncological research and teaching in the long term," emphasizes Prof. Michael Albrecht, Medical Director of Dresden University Hospital.

"With the University of Excellence TU Dresden, outstanding university medicine, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and numerous other research partners, Dresden offers the best conditions to continue to provide important impetus in the field of cancer research in the future. Many of our patients benefit from the latest treatment approaches in studies, which should later benefit all those affected," explains Prof. Esther Troost, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at TU Dresden.

"After Heidelberg, Dresden was the second location in Germany where the DKFZ and the University Hospital jointly established an NCT site. These two sites have worked so successfully in recent years that the NCT has been expanded to six sites nationwide this year. This gives us the opportunity to sustainably advance state-of-the-art clinical cancer research in Germany and thereby improve the treatment results and quality of life of cancer patients," says Prof. Michael Baumann, Chairman of the Board of the DKFZ and Founding Director of the University Cancer Center and the NCT/UCC.

The Dresden Cancer Center is also one of the 15 top oncology centers (Comprehensive Cancer Center Network) funded by German Cancer Aid and is one of only three centers to have received this coveted award continuously since the start of the funding program in 2007. The basic requirements for the award as an Oncological Center of Excellence include a central point of contact for cancer patients and tumor conferences, an interdisciplinary range of treatments according to current medical guidelines, a modern quality assurance system as well as innovative research activities and spillover effects in the region. The NCT/UCC is also certified as an oncology center by the German Cancer Society. The eleven affiliated and also certified organ cancer centers are responsible for the interdisciplinary diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of the respective tumor types in accordance with valid guidelines.

More than a quarter of newly diagnosed patients are included in studies and have access to innovative treatment options. The close interaction between research and patient care is also reflected in the center's two interconnected buildings, which house areas for multidisciplinary outpatient care as well as unique research platforms. These include an experimental operating theater, state-of-the-art imaging and radiotherapy units as well as molecular, cell biology and laser laboratories.
To mark the anniversary, the exhibition "From Shadow to Light" brings modern cancer therapy and cancer research to life through art. On display are paintings, drawings, video and object art works as well as sculptural works by master students of the Dresden University of Fine Arts (HfBK). Before creating their works, the artists engaged in intensive discussions with patients, nursing staff, doctors, researchers and other experts from the fields of psycho-oncology and prevention. The insights and perspectives gained in this way are reflected in the works. The exhibition also offers an insight into the 20-year history of the center. It is a joint project of the NCT/UCC Dresden, the Custody of the TU Dresden and the Dresden University of Fine Arts (HfBK).

"The central importance of the Cancer Center is measured first and foremost by medical progress for the benefit of patients," concluded Science Minister Sebastian Gemkow. "Behind each and every individual is a personal story, and this applies equally to the medical staff. I am therefore particularly pleased that, as part of the anniversary, an artistic exploration has also been realized that focuses on the people in and behind the center."

Information about the exhibition:
- Works by: Eric Beier, Noemi Durighello, Hanne Lange, Michael Merkel, Julia Schmelzer, Tillmann Ziola
- Visitor address: NCT/UCC new building on Mildred-Scheel-Straße, House 136 at Dresden University Hospital
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. and by appointment
- A joint project of: NCT/UCC Dresden, Custody of the TU Dresden and Dresden University of Fine Arts (HfBK)
- Organizer: Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden
- Further information: www.nct-dresden.de/kunst

To the press release on the NCT/UCC Dresden website