About us
The University Cancer Center Hamburg (UCCH) represents the organizational unit of all departments and institutes at the University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf (UKE) involved in prevention, diagnosis, therapy and research of cancer. In this respect, the UCCH is constantly trying to further advance the "state of the art"-care for cancer patients and acts as a research and education/knowledge partner to develop and offer innovative diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for cancer patients. Since its foundation in 2007, it is the clear mission of the UCCH to not only restrict its aims and new developments to the UCCH members inside the UKE but to develop cooperations and networks with external partners in clinical care and cancer research in order to achieve a broad and sector-crossing common structure for academic clinical and preclinical research as well as patient care on the highest possible level within the metropolitan region of Hamburg. To date the UCCH competence network comprises more than 40 UKE clinics and institutes, 21 external hospitals and 23 office-based (radio-)oncologists.
Our aim is not only to offer excellent cancer care according to highest international standards and the development of novel diagnosis and treatment options but also to offer our patients and their relatives as well as our cooperation partners special support and counseling. In order to achieve this aim our experts in all areas and on all levels cooperate closely and exchange via our Central Entry Port, our tumorboards, via common clinical studies and research retreats and seminars. The advantages for all sides are obvious: Short paths for our patients, standardized paths for referring physicians and clear structures for physicians in aftercare.
Oncology Center of Excellence
The Deutsche Krebshilfe e. V. (DKH = German Cancer Aid) nominated the UCCH in 2009, 2013, 2016 and again in 2020 as Oncology Center of Excellence based on the survey of an international committee of experts in cancer medicine and research. Only very few cancer centers in Germany receive this special distinction which goes along with financial support for the further development of cancer care and cancer research activities. DKH’s major aim is to fundamentally improve cancer care nationwide by this funding. Main criteria for the distinction were among others the establishment of our Central Entry Port for interdisciplinary treatment of all kinds of malignancies, the treatment of cancer patients in innovative clinical studies, the execution of interdisciplinary conferences, the development and use of standardized pathways in cancer treatment, translational cancer research, a structured cooperation with office-based physicians and hospitals in the metropolitan region of Hamburg as well as the collaboration with patient support groups.
All DKH-supported Oncology Centers of Excellence in Germany collaborate in work groups in order to improve cancer medicine and research nationwide. An overview concerning these so called Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCC) is available on the website of the CCC network.
The Hubertus Wald Foundation
“Das Leben hat es gut mir gemeint. Ich fühle mich deshalb verpflichtet, etwas abzugeben.“ („Life was kind to me. Thus, I feel obliged to give something.“)
All his life the tradesman and patron Hubertus Wald financially supported arts and medicine in his hometown Hamburg.
In 1993, his wife Renate Wald and himself established the Hubertus Wald Foundation which significantly sponsored and promoted numerous Hamburg institutions since then.
Even after their death the nobleness of the couple Hubertus and Renate Wald lives on. Dr. Volkmar Herms, chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees, as well as the trustees Prof. Dr. med. Hartwig Huland, Prof. Dr. Sabine Schulze and Rüdiger Ludwig promote the advancement of the Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum – University Cancer Center Hamburg (UCCH) significantly.