For the third time, CCCF has succeeded in being designated an elite oncological center: The honor was awarded by German Cancer Aid (Deutschen Krebshilfe), a leading non-governmental organization, and places CCCF in select company as one of just a handful of such specialized cancer institutes in Germany. In particular, CCCF was praised by an international committee of experts for the high quality of its inter-disciplinary care for cancer patients. German Cancer Aid supports elite oncological centers so that they can provide even better individualized treatment in line with the latest cancer research. CCCF will receive 3 million Euros in funding from German Cancer Aid over the next four years. “Our center has succeeded in raising its level of patient care and research while continuing down our current path of success. Once again, we are one of the elite cancer centers,“ proclaims Prof. Dr. Christoph Peters, scientific director of CCCF.

CCCF runs 18 interdisciplinary centers (tumor boards) and acts as a central point of contact for cancer patients and referring doctors. The center stands for the multi-disciplinary care of tumor patients, which encompasses diagnostic and therapeutic expertise in all types of oncological diseases. “A treatment plan for patients is discussed and then agreed by our teams of experts on inter-disciplinary tumor boards,“ says Prof. Dr. Justus Duyster, medical director of CCCF. “What plays a vital role for us is the development of treatment options for cancer patients, as well as a transparent decision-making process.“

Research programs bringing together working groups from the medical faculty, biology faculty, and the Max Planck Institute for Immunbiology and Epigenetics aim to reduce the time it takes for new lab findings to make it to bedside. So-called early clinical trial units allow for the improvement of tumor therapies and molecular tumor boards review and compile individualized therapeutic options based on findings stemming from molecular diagnostics. A software program for planning and documenting chemotherapy - called Chemocompile - was developed at CCCF and is now commercially available to all oncological clinics and practices.

CCCF’s infrastructure is continuously being upgraded. At the beginning of 2016, 2000 m2 of state-of-the-art cancer research facilities were added to the Center for Translational Cell Research. In 2018 a 6500 m2 facility, the Interdisciplinary Tumor Center, will be completed and serve as a central point of contact for all tumor patients at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg.