Pedro Lichtinger, President of Pfizer in Europe, announced the good news at a ceremony held on 15th October in Berlin on the occasion of the move of Pfizer’s German headquarters from Karlsruhe to Berlin. “It is Pfizer’s mission to commit to social issues, in particular selected health and prevention projects. We want to make a contribution to the improvement of human health and wellbeing across the world – in addition to our activities in the development and production of innovative drugs,” said Lichtinger, speaking to 400 guests from science, medicine, government and society, including the director of the Ludwig Heilmeyer Tumour Centre – CCCF, Prof. Dr. Oliver Opitz.

The University Hospital will use the new programme to help smokers quit smoking. The concept was developed by the CCCF, specifically by a group of scientists and doctors from the department of ‘Internal Medicine I, Haematology/Oncology’, ‘Psychiatry and Psychotherapy’ and ‘Thoracic Surgery’ – the ‘Prevention Study Group’. The strategy envisages that from the beginning of 2009, members of an interdisciplinary ‘Cancer Prevention Management Team’ will actively approach patients who smoke to encourage them to stop smoking and give them the tools to be able to do so. Patients who decide to stop smoking will be supported by an assigned, specialist staff member throughout the entire process.

Anti-smoking cure is an active, multi-tier process. The most promising way for the patient to stop smoking is self-motivation, the selection of a method that best suits him or her and permanent support throughout the entire cessation process. This is the basis of the new concept from the Ludwig Heilmeyer Tumour Centre – CCCF, which can now be turned into reality through the financial support of the Pfizer Foundation totalling 550,000 dollars per year.

The Ludwig Heilmeyer Tumour Centre – Comprehensive Cancer Centre Freiburg (CCCF) - is an institution that combines the integrated treatment of cancer patients with cancer research. In addition, the CCCF is very active in the field of cancer prevention. It is in charge of the clinical, scientific and structural coordination of cancer medicine at the University Hospital of Freiburg. The CCCF is one of five German “Top Oncology Centres” and has been financed by the German Cancer Aid since its establishment in 2007.

The Pfizer Foundation is a charitable organisation founded by Pfizer Inc. The Foundation's major activities are focused on HIV/AIDS, malaria, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, but Pfizer and the Pfizer Foundation will also set up projects addressing challenges in cancer and tobacco control as well as innovative, regional and global partnerships in oncology and tobacco control.

Source: University Hospital Freiburg – 21 Oct. 2008 (P)

Further information:
Prof. Dr. Oliver G. Opitz
Director of the Ludwig Heilmeyer Tumour Centre – CCCF
Hugstetter Straße 55,
79106 Freiburg
Tel.: +49 (0)761/270-7151
Fax: +49 (0)761/270-3398
E-mail: oliver.opitz@uniklinik-freiburg.de