All tumors of children and adolescents are treated in an interdisciplinary manner at the Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology in Heidelberg. Approximately 2,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed each year with cancer in Germany. These tumors require specialized diagnostics, treatment, and aftercare, as the tumors differ fundamentally from those of adults in their development, tissue structure and molecular changes and arise in the young developing organism with its special needs and risks. In Heidelberg, all patients receive quality-controlled therapy within treatment studies conducted by the "Gesellschaft für Pädiatrische Onkologie und Hämatologie" (Society for Paediatric Oncology and Haematology). Moreover, we also conduct a series of innovative and diagnostic studies.

Our focus is on

• The interdisciplinary treatment of solid tumors with particle therapy,
• Brain tumors,
• Osteosarcomas including OSCAR study on the treatment of inoperable tumors,
• Leukemias,
• Stem cell transplantation in malignant and non-malignant diseases, and
• Personalized molecular diagnostics in recurrent oncologic diseases.

Our patient care is interdisciplinary and involves the departments of pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, urology, pediatric radiology, neuroradiology, and radiation therapy working together in tumor board meetings.

Examination methods/diagnostics

• Comprehensive imaging diagnostics including an own MRI scanner in the Center for Child and Adolescent Medicine in cooperation with the Department of Pediatric Radiology and the Department of Neuroradiology
• Various nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures in cooperation with the Department of Nuclear Medicine
• Specific molecular analysis of archived and fresh tumor material as part of diagnostics studies on relapsed tumors (PTT)

Therapeutic procedures

• Therapy in line with current treatment recommendations and Society for Paediatric Oncology and Haematology (GPOH) treatment optimization studies
• Phase I-III study protocols for patients with inoperable osteosarcomas (OSKAR), recurrent tumor diseases (phase I/II vorinostat), subependymal giant cell astrocytomas in TSC with everolimus (EXIST1), recurrent SHH medulloblastomas with LDE225 (CLIMB).
• Particle irradiation in cooperation with the radiation therapy department
• Stem cell transplantation in oncologic and non-oncologic diseases

Aftercare

• In line with current treatment recommendations and Society for Paediatric Oncology and Haematology (GPOH) treatment optimization studies, all patients receive aftercare.
• Brain tumor patients are advised and evaluated individually in interdisciplinary consultation sessions (pediatric neurooncology, neuropsychology/social medicine and pediatric neurology).