CCC WERA & NCT WERA: Working together for the future of cancer research
130 participants from the four CCC locations Würzburg, Erlangen, Regensburg and Augsburg met to network at the University Hospital of Würzburg.
The meeting brought together over 130 participants from the Comprehensive Cancer Centers at the four sites in Würzburg, Erlangen, Regensburg and Augsburg, as well as patient representatives and experts from various fields such as oncology, radiology, palliative medicine and data management. Many people who work within the CCC WERA are also closely connected to the NCT WERA, so the aim was to bring the two structures together on one day of the event and network them more closely. The next major network meeting will take place on October 1, 2025 in Erlangen.
Joint reviews
Since joining forces in 2019, the CCC Alliance WERA has become a pioneer in cancer research and care. The alliance pools the expertise of its four sites and enables progress that none of the partners could achieve alone. WERA has achieved numerous milestones since becoming an NCT 2020 site. One highlight: the award as an “Oncological Center of Excellence” by German Cancer Aid in 2022. Prof. Dr. Hermann Einsele, Director of the Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II at Würzburg University Hospital and spokesperson for NCT WERA, put it in a nutshell: “Together, we have put WERA on the oncological map.”
Broad catchment area
An outstanding feature of WERA - and an important USP for the NCT - is its extensive catchment area: around eight million people, including over 40,000 cancer patients every year, benefit from the services, many of them in rural regions. At the WERA site, a central aspect of the NCT mission becomes particularly clear: patients receive rapid access to innovative therapeutic approaches and new clinical trials, even in structurally weaker areas.
Focus on patient participation
Patients as active partners in research - this principle is deeply rooted in the philosophy of WERA and NCT. At the network meeting, special attention was paid to this topic with a keynote speech and a panel discussion. Alexia Parsons, head of the “National Decade Against Cancer” project group at the BMBF, emphasized: “Good care starts with good research. Patients also decide what good research is.”
The active involvement of patient representatives in the design of clinical trials and in the strategic development of the Alliance is a central concern. Whether CCC or NCT - we have a common goal: the participation of patients in clinical processes at eye level.
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