The nationwide OnkoAktiv network, founded at the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) in Heidelberg, has been awarded the Baden-Württemberg Cancer Innovation Prize 2025. The prize recognizes OnkoAktiv for its pioneering role and groundbreaking contribution to the integration of exercise into oncological care.

The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg is a joint institution of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), Heidelberg University Medical Faculty, and Heidelberg Thorax Clinic.

The OnkoAktiv network has been awarded the Baden-Württemberg Cancer Innovation Award 2025 by the Baden-Württemberg Cancer Association. The award recognizes institutions, associations, and individuals who use innovative approaches to improve the prevention, treatment, and support of patients in the long term.

Joachim Wiskemann, the network's founder and head of the working group Exercise Oncology at NCT Heidelberg, accepted the award at the conference of the Transdisciplinary Oncological Care Working Group (ATO) Baden-Württemberg in Freiburg. The Cancer Innovation Award is presented every two years and is endowed with 5,000 euros. The patron of the award is Gerlinde Kretschmann.

OnkoAktiv was founded in 2012 on the initiative of Joachim Wiskemann at the NCT Heidelberg and has since developed from a regional initiative into a nationwide network for oncological exercise promotion and therapy. The aim is to provide all cancer patients with local, quality-assured access to exercise therapy – individually tailored, professionally supervised, and scientifically based.

The network connects oncological healthcare facilities such as clinics and practices with rehabilitation centers, physiotherapy practices, sports clubs, and fitness studios in the respective region. A structured certification process ensures the quality of the exercise therapy services offered. In addition, supporting members participate in the network, including yoga and relaxation groups as well as personal trainers.

“Exercise acts like a medicine. It has been proven to improve the quality of life and therapeutic success of many patients. With OnkoAktiv, we can make an important contribution to this,” says Joachim Wiskemann. “The Cancer Innovation Award is a valuable recognition of the joint work of many committed partners throughout the network.”
OnkoAktiv will use the prize money to further develop digital and personalized information services so that it can provide even more targeted support to patients in the future. The network aims to establish exercise as an integral and sustainable part of oncological therapy throughout Germany in the future—based on scientific evidence and easily accessible to patients throughout Germany.

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In the picture: Joachim Wiskemann (left) receives the award from Uwe Martens, Chairman of the Baden-Württemberg Cancer Association.

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The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg
The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg is a joint institution of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the University Hospital Heidelberg (UKHD), the Heidelberg Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and the Thoraxklinik Heidelberg. The aim of the NCT Heidelberg is to transfer promising approaches from cancer research into clinical practice as quickly as possible, and thus to benefit patients. This applies to both diagnosis and treatment, in aftercare or prevention. Participation in clinical studies opens up access to innovative therapies. The NCT Heidelberg is thus a leader in transferring new research results from the laboratory to the clinic The NCT Heidelberg, founded in 2004, is part of the NCT with further locations in Berlin, Dresden, SouthWest (Tübingen-Stuttgart/Ulm), WERA (Würzburg, Erlangen, Regensburg, Augsburg) and West (Essen/Cologne).
 

German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
With more than 3,000 employees, the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is Germany’s largest biomedical research institute. DKFZ scientists identify cancer risk factors, investigate how cancer progresses and develop new cancer prevention strategies. They are also developing new methods to diagnose tumors more precisely and treat cancer patients more successfully. The DKFZ's Cancer Information Service (KID) provides patients, interested citizens and experts with individual answers to questions relating to cancer.

To transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the clinic and thus improve the prognosis of cancer patients, the DKFZ cooperates with excellent research institutions and university hospitals throughout Germany:

• National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT, 6 sites)  
• German Cancer Consortium (DKTK, 8 sites)
• Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ) Heidelberg
• Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology (HI-TRON Mainz) - A Helmholtz Institute of the DKFZ
• DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim
• National Cancer Prevention Center (jointly with German Cancer Aid) 

The DKFZ is 90 percent financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and 10 percent by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.

Heidelberg University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine: Internationally Renowned Patient Care, Research and Teaching

Heidelberg University Hospital (Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, UKHD) is one of the largest and most prestigious medical centers in Germany. The Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University (Medizinische Fakultät Heidelberg, MFHD) belongs to the internationally renowned biomedical research institutions in Europe. Both institutions have the common goal of developing new therapies and implementing them rapidly for patients. Heidelberg University Hospital and the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University employs around 14.500 employees and is committed to providing trainings and qualifications. Every year, around 86,000 patients and more than 1.100.000 outpatient cases are treated in more than 50 clinical departments with almost 2.500 beds.

Together with the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and the German Cancer Aid, the UKHD established the first National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) in Heidelberg. The goal is to provide care at the highest level as an oncology center of excellence and to rapidly transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the hospital. In addition, the UKHD operates in partnership with the DKFZ and the University of Heidelberg the Hopp Children’s Cancer center Heidelberg (KiTZ), a unique and nationally known therapy and research center for oncological and hematological diseases in children and adolescents.

The Heidelberg Curriculum Medicinale (HeiCuMed) is one of the top medical training programs in Germany. Currently, there are about 4.000 future physicians studying in Heidelberg.