Cookie Settings

We use cookies to optimize our website. These include cookies that are necessary for the operation of the site, as well as those that are only used for anonymous statistic. You can decide for yourself which categories you want to allow. Further information can be found in our data privacy protection .

Essential

These cookies are necessary to run the core functionalities of this website and cannot be disabled.

Name Webedition CMS
Purpose This cookie is required by the CMS (Content Management System) Webedition for the system to function correctly. Typically, this cookie is deleted when the browser is closed.
Name econda
Purpose Session cookie emos_jcsid for the web analysis software econda. This runs in the “anonymized measurement” mode. There is no personal reference. As soon as the user leaves the site, tracking is ended and all data in the browser are automatically deleted.
Statistics

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and analyzing information anonymously. Depending on the tool, one or more cookies are set by the provider.

Name econda
Purpose Statistics
External media

Content from external media platforms is blocked by default. If cookies from external media are accepted, access to this content no longer requires manual consent.

Name YouTube
Purpose Show YouTube content
Name Twitter
Purpose activate Twitter Feeds

Clinical Cooperation Unit Radiation Oncology

Prof. Dr. Dr. Jürgen Debus (in ch.)

Computer-aided imaging techniques allow for optimal planning of radiation therapy
© dkfz.de

Our Unit treats cancer patients with new innovative technologies and explores new strategies to adapt radiotherapy to the patients’ individual situation. This involves approaches from many fields, such as new imaging techniques, medical physics, computer sciences, biology and radiochemistry. In order to push the boundaries of modern radiation oncology we cooperate with many groups within the DKFZ, the University Hospital and other national and international experts. Within the Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO) our goal is to provide for every patient the best available therapy option every day. Since 1997 the unit permanently investigates and optimizes ion therapy.

One current research focus is the treatment of moving tumors in the lung and upper abdomen. Breathing motion adjusted therapy is applied in so-called gated therapy; here, radiation is only delivered in the optimal breathing phase. To improve imaging of tumor motion necessary for gated or tracked therapy, we evaluate different markers placed invasively around the tumor. This includes gold markers for X-ray based fluoroscopy imaging and electromagnetic markers for online tumor motion tracking. Within the DKTK, molecular stratification of patients is investigated in a multicentric trial with the aim to identify markers to predict outcome after radiotherapy. We also perform analyses of the use of dual energy CT (DECT) with the aim of metal artefact correction, extraction of a virtual native CT and direct measurement of electron density. Evaluation of functional imaging in involving PET and MRI in the planning of radiotherapy is also on our agenda. This includes metabolic and hypoxic tracers and their potential to individualize radiation treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Strong emphasis is put on the integration of MR imaging into image guided radiotherapy (IGRT). Using MR imaging and shuttle-based patient transport, we investigate the possibility to optimize adaptive radiotherapy by performing daily inter-fractional image guidance.

FUTURE OUTLOOK
We will continue the individualization of radiotherapy by integrating biomolecular information into therapy planning, as well as into the therapy process. Several clinical trials, e.g. involving the novel biomarker PSMA, assessing tumor hypoxia status or investigating effects of radiotherapy on the immune system are on our agenda. Towards the development of MR guided Radiotherapy, we received funding from the DFG for a combined treatment system that will be installed in 2016/17.

Contact

Prof. Dr. Dr. Jürgen Debus (in ch.)
Radiation Oncology (E050)
Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum
Im Neuenheimer Feld 280
69120 Heidelberg

Office
Patient contact

Selected Publications

  • (68)Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT: a new technique with high potential for the radiotherapeutic management of prostate cancer patients. Sterzing F, Kratochwil C, Fiedler H, Katayama S, Habl G, Kopka K, Afshar-Oromieh A, Debus J, Haberkorn U, Giesel FL. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2016 Jan;43(1):34-4
  • CD8+ tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes in relation to HPV status and clinical outcome in patients with head and neck cancer after postoperative chemoradiotherapy: A multicentre study of the German cancer consortium radiation oncology group (DKTK-ROG).Balermpas P, Rödel F, Rödel C, Krause M, Linge A, Lohaus F, Baumann M, Tinhofer I, Budach V, Gkika E, Stuschke M, Avlar M, Grosu AL, Abdollahi A, Debus J, Bayer C, Stangl S, Belka C, Pigorsch S, Multhoff G, Combs SE, Mönnich D, Zips D, Fokas E. Int J Cancer. 2016 Jan 1;138(1):171-81
  • In vivo measurement of dose distribution in patients' lymphocytes: helical tomotherapy versus step-and-shoot IMRT in prostate cancer. Zwicker F, Swartman B, Roeder F, Sterzing F, Hauswald H, Thieke C, Weber KJ, Huber PE, Schubert K, Debus J, Herfarth K. J Radiat Res. 2015 Mar;56(2):239-47
  • MR?Guidance – eine klinische Studie zur Evaluation einer shuttlebasierten, MRT?geführten Radiotherapie Bostel T, Nicolay N.H, Grossmann G, Mohr A, Delorme S, Echner G, Häring P, Pfaffenberger A, Debus J, Sterzing F, Strahlenther Onkol 190, Issue 1 Supplement, (2014) S. 1-164
to top
powered by webEdition CMS