Foundation stone laid for new building of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Dresden

Today Saxony's Minister President will lay the foundation stone for a groundbreaking building dedicated to cancer research and treatment / Patients benefit from the latest methods of diagnosis and therapy / "Surgery of the future" opens new possibilities in cancer surgery / Free State invests 22 million euros A state-of-the-art building will be constructed at the Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital in Dresden, which will link cancer research with the treatment of cancer patients as closely as possible. Beginning in 2019, the new building of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Dresden will house a unique research platform and laboratories, as well as areas for patient studies, rooms for cancer treatment and radiotherapy. The Free State of Saxony is providing 22 million euros for the construction of the building.

The NCT partner location Dresden is a joint partnership of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, the Medical Faculty of the Technical University Dresden and the Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). Annual funding of the NCT Dresden will increase to 15 million euros by 2019 and will be borne in a 90:10 ratio by the Federal Government and the Free State of Saxony.

With four floors and more than 3,000 square meters of floor space, the new Dresden building will house approximately 200 scientists and researching physicians. Cancer patients will be treated using the latest methods. With the "operating theatre of the future", a unique research area with digitally networked instruments and devices will allow scientists to obtain important data for the development of computer and robot supported assistance systems for cancer surgery. The operating area will be directly connected to state-of-the-art imaging methods and radiotherapy units. By closely linking central research and treatment areas, results of cancer research will be focused and can  be developed quickly to the benefit of patients.

"Every year, approximately half a million people in Germany are diagnosed with cancer. We need cutting-edge research in this field in order to develop the therapies of tomorrow and beyond. The new NCT building in Dresden will offer the best environment for achieving this goal," explained Minister President Stanislaw Tillich at the laying of the foundation stone.
According to Federal Minister of Education and Research Johanna Wanka: "With today's laying of the foundation stone for the NCT in Dresden, we are creating a best-in-world environment for patient-oriented cancer research that links research and everyday clinical practice closely."
Prof. Christof von Kalle, Managing Director of the NCT in Heidelberg: "The NCT's concept of reinforcing interdisciplinary cooperation spatially and focusing on the patient has definitely gained acceptance in Heidelberg. The new building in Dresden meets prerequisites identical to Heidelberg for combining cancer research and patient care in one building".

Due to its scientific and medical competence, the Saxon state capital was named partner location of the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg in 2014. The two locations work closely together and complement each other in their expertise. The NCT Dresden is supported by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, the Medical Faculty of the Technical University Dresden and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). The new building will make this important institution visible to the outside world and creates an excellent infrastructure for patient-oriented cancer research and treatment of cancer patients.

Prof. D. Michael Albrecht, CEO of the University Hospital Dresden: "The new NCT building will considerably expand the capacity for oncological research on campus, which directly benefits our patients through the use of the latest methods for diagnosis and therapy in clinical trials. These innovations should be available for all cancer patients in the future."

Prof. Michael Baumann, Chairman and Scientific Director of the German Cancer Research Center: "We see personalized oncology as a real revolution in the fight against cancer. In the future, therapy and diagnostics based on the biological characteristics of the respective tumor will be customized more specifically to the individual cancer patient than is currently possible. Groundbreaking research in this field will take place in the NCT building in Dresden, in close cooperation with Heidelberg.”

Prof. Hans Müller-Steinhagen, Rector of the Technical University of Dresden: "The NCT building is not only trend-setting in its spatial design, but will also offer the best possible environment, especially for the next generation of physicians and scientists. We are pleased that the young scientists trained at TU Dresden will find optimal research conditions here and will be able to work closely with excellent minds".

Prof. Roland Sauerbrey, Scientific Director of the Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf: "The NCT Dresden gives us the opportunity to further expand the strong cooperation with our Helmholtz colleagues at the German Cancer Research Centre and with our local partners from the TU Dresden and the University Hospital. This includes, for example, our research in the fields of proton and immunotherapy or the development of new radioactive drugs for the diagnosis and treatment of tumors.

Press Contact:
Dr. Anna Kraft
National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Dresden
Press and public relations work
Phone: +49 (0)351 458-7440
E-Mail: anna.kraft(at)nct-dresden.de
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