Every year, teams at the NCT Heidelberg can apply for funding from the “Donations Against Cancer” program with innovative ideas. An interdisciplinary jury reviews the applications and selects projects that improve patient care and open up new avenues in cancer research. This year, four projects from translational research and three from nursing and counseling were selected.

Here is an overview of the winning projects for 2025:

• Tracing Chordomas in the Blood: Innovative Single-Cell Analyses of Circulation Tumor Cells to Prevent Metastasis (Dr. Mark Hartmann, Dr. Kwang Seok Lee, Dr. Christoph Heilig)
  The project aims to reliably detect circulating tumor cells in chordomas for the first time and characterize them at the molecular level. Using modern single-cell technologies, markers will be identified that enable earlier detection of recurrence and new therapeutic approaches.
• SAFE – Single cell analysis of self-reactive T cells in immune checkpoint therapy (Joscha Kraske, Dr. Thomas Walle)
  Using single-cell sequencing, the team is investigating which immune cell types trigger immune-mediated side effects. The aim is to identify high-risk patients at an early stage, lay the foundation for targeted treatment strategies, and reduce side effects.
• ESPRESSO = Eligibility Screening of clinical trial Protocols using Retrieval-Enhanced Semantic Searches and Ontologies (Dr. Simon Kreutzfeldt, Dr. Eva Krieghoff-Hennig, Eva Reisinger, Nils Hammer)
  ESPRESSO is developing an AI-supported system that makes the search for suitable clinical trials more precise and efficient. The structured preparation of study protocols and semantic search methods deliver significantly more relevant hits – especially for rare tumor diseases.
• Targeting Tumor Cells – Preserving Immune Cells: Developing Immuno-Compatible Radiotherapy to Advance Interdisciplinary Treatment Strategies for Patients with Head and Neck Cancer (Dr. Philipp Schröter, Dr. Florian Stritzke, PD Dr. Thomas Held, PD Dr. Tilmann Bochtler)
  The project investigates how radiation and immunotherapy can be optimally combined. Immunobiological analyses are used to develop gentler, targeted radiation that strengthens the immune response and thus the success of the therapy.
• SDM Competence: Shared Decision Making and Patient-Centered Communication Skills in Oncology (Prof. Dr. Christiane Bieber, Dr. Cindy Körner)
  A training program provides physicians working in oncology with skills for shared decision-making (SDM) and strengthens patient-centered communication in complex treatment situations.
• Facing Radiotherapy with Courage and Confidence: child-friendly information for young patients (PD Dr. Semi Harrabi, Dr. Maximilian Deng)
  The Heidelberg Ion Therapy Center (HIT) is producing child-friendly informational videos that clearly explain the radiation therapy process. These videos are intended to reduce anxiety, provide guidance, and decrease the number of necessary anesthesias.
• From Paper to Tablet: Broad Implementation of a Digital Distress Screening at NCT Heidelberg (Dr. Till Johannes Bugaj, Dr. Miriam Grapp, Anne-Kathrin Müller)
  Digital distress screening is to be established in all organ centers. This will enable stress to be detected at an early stage and patients to be referred to appropriate support services more quickly.

More detailed project descriptions and the winning projects from previous years can be found on the website of the “Donations Against Cancer” funding program.