Significant improvement for clinical cancer research in Germany

The National Center for Tumor Diseases is being expanded by four locations

The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) is a long-term cooperation between the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), excellent partners in university medicine and other outstanding research partners at various locations in Germany.On February 2, 2023, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) confirmed the expansion of the NCT by four new locations.These are Berlin, SouthWest (Tübingen/Stuttgart-Ulm), WERA (Würzburg with the partners Erlangen, Regensburg and Augsburg) and West (Cologne/Essen).With the existing sites in Heidelberg and Dresden, a total of six NCT sites are now cooperating with the DKFZ with the aim of sustainably advancing state-of-the-art clinical cancer research in Germany and thereby improving the treatment results and quality of life of cancer patients.

One goal of the National Decade Against Cancer, which was proclaimed by the BMBF in 2019, is to expand the NCT with new locations throughout Germany. This was preceded by the success of the NCT's two existing pilot sites in Heidelberg and Dresden.

In fall 2020, the BMBF selected four new sites for the NCT expansion based on the recommendation of an international panel of experts. The DKFZ, the two existing sites and all new sites then developed a comprehensive joint strategy concept and a supplementary implementation plan. A large number of leading scientists, oncologists from all disciplines and patient representatives from all sites were involved in developing the concept. A final international review confirmed the joint strategy and its implementation plan, so that the BMBF has now given the go-ahead for the establishment of the new sites and the Germany-wide collaboration in the expanded NCT.

The expanded NCT specifically addresses the greatest current weaknesses in clinical cancer research in the German research landscape. With its focus on innovative clinical trials, the NCT enables new developments from the laboratory to be tested quickly and to the highest clinical standards in order to provide better diagnosis and treatment options for patients. Special attention is paid to personalized oncology, the involvement of patients as research partners, fast and fair access for patients to advances in cancer research and the training of future generations of clinical cancer researchers.

The expanded NCT establishes sustainable joint research and cooperation structures, bundles existing national potential and thus creates synergies that drive the transfer of innovations into patient care, the healthcare system, the economy and society. It is only possible to realize this "one NCT" project thanks to the significant investment by the BMBF.

"The NCT expansion from two to six sites is an outstanding milestone in the National Decade Against Cancer. We are extremely grateful to the BMBF for this generous and long-term investment in the future of cancer research," says Prof. Dr. Michael Baumann, Chairman of the DKFZ Board of Directors, co-spokesperson of the NCT Steering Committee and one of the initiators of the NCT expansion. "With the expanded NCT, we are creating an ideal platform to test our own innovations in scientifically driven clinical trials and to compete on an equal footing with the world's leading centers in this field in the future. At the same time, we are giving significantly more cancer patients in Germany access to advances in cancer research. The NCT is also the first research collaboration in Germany to involve patients as research partners at all levels."

Prof. Dr. Michael Hallek, Director of Clinic I for Internal Medicine at the University Hospital of Cologne and co-spokesperson of the NCT Steering Committee, says: "The NCT expansion represents a significant boost for cancer research in Germany. Clinical trials are the decisive driver for the translation of research results from the laboratory into clinical application. The NCT works closely with the Comprehensive Cancer Centers of the university hospitals funded by German Cancer Aid and builds on their structures. The NCT expansion enables us to establish a powerful clinical trial landscape and, as one large center ("one NCT"), to accelerate translation and at the same time increase our attractiveness for top international talent."

Markus Wartenberg, spokesperson of the national NCT Patient Advisory Board, says: "Especially the non-commercial science-driven clinical trials, such as those to be conducted at the NCT, are of great importance for patients. In the future NCT research culture "Patients as research partners", patients will therefore be involved in the design and development of such studies at an early stage. With "PEAK - the Patient Academy" and an annual national conference, the NCT will also offer patients interested in research opportunities for further training and exchange."

When completed, the expanded NCT will be financed by the BMBF and the respective host country in a ratio of 90:10 with a total of around 100 million euros per year. In addition, the funding from the host countries will enable the construction of a patient-oriented NCT building at each of the four new sites.