National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT)

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.

The NCT pursues the mission of conducting academically driven clinical-translational research at the highest international level. The goal of the NCT is to significantly improve the treatment outcomes and quality of life of cancer patients. This goal is to be achieved by efficiently translating innovative preclinical discoveries and developments into clinical applications. The NCT places particular emphasis on involving patients as research partners.

Strengthening cancer research: up to four new NCT sites to be established in addition to Heidelberg and Dresden.

Heidelberg has formed the first NCT site since 2004, and Dresden has been the second site since 2015. As part of the National Decade against Cancer, which was proclaimed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) at the beginning of 2019, the NCT is to be expanded by up to four new sites nationwide. The BMBF announced the decision as the result of a competitive application process in 2020. The ministry followed the recommendation of an international panel of experts. Berlin, Cologne/Essen, Tübingen/Stuttgart-Ulm and Würzburg with partners Erlangen, Regensburg and Augsburg were selected and are currently drawing up a concept and implementation plan for the expanded NCT network.