The NCT Heidelberg and the MCC have formed a Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) consortium and have successfully passed the international review process for the first time. In addition to providing optimal oncological care for its patients, the consortium aims to make innovative developments in cancer medicine available in the region as quickly as possible. For this reason, clinical trials will play a prominent role within the consortium. To this end, the Heidelberg-Mannheim CCC consortium will receive 4.8 million euros in funding from German Cancer Aid over a four-year period as a Center of Excellence in Oncology.
The NCT Heidelberg has thus been continuously recognized and funded as a Center of Excellence in Oncology since 2007. The Mannheim Cancer Center has been certified as an Oncology Center by the German Cancer Society since 2011 and is now receiving recognition as a Center of Excellence in Oncology for the first time. Partners in the Heidelberg-Mannheim CCC Consortium include Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), the Heidelberg Thorax Clinic, the Heidelberg and Mannheim medical faculties of Heidelberg University, Mannheim University Medical Center (UMM), and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). The Heidelberg-Mannheim CCC Consortium represents an important step in the successful collaboration within the Heidelberg and Mannheim hospital network.
Dirk Jäger, Medical Director of the Department of Medical Oncology at UKHD, Executive Director of the NCT Heidelberg, and Spokesperson for the Heidelberg-Mannheim CCC Consortium, says: “We are pleased to expand the Center of Excellence in Oncology to include Mannheim. The merger to form the Heidelberg-Mannheim CCC Consortium opens up the prospect of strengthening clinical research in particular, becoming a more attractive site for clinical trials, and offering even more patients the opportunity to benefit from innovative research.”
Wolf–Karsten Hofmann, Director of the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Mannheim University Medical Center (UMM) and Chairman of the Board of the Mannheim Cancer Center, says: “The initial recognition of the Heidelberg-Mannheim CCC Consortium as a Center of Excellence in Oncology demonstrates that we provide oncology care at the highest level at both locations. Through this partnership, the University Hospitals of Heidelberg and Mannheim are growing ever closer together, and we will continue to develop jointly as a Comprehensive Cancer Center.”
As a Center of Excellence in Oncology, the Heidelberg-Mannheim CCC Consortium provides interdisciplinary care for cancer patients at the highest level. The goal is to rapidly translate promising results from basic research into clinical applications. The Heidelberg-Mannheim CCC Consortium will work to jointly advance clinical research, incorporate even more innovative approaches into clinical trials, and accelerate the clinical development of these approaches. This merger will make both locations more attractive to industry partners. The consortium will strengthen its network with medical institutions and physicians in the region, thereby providing all patients in the region with access to cutting-edge medical care.
