German Cancer Research Centre

Tackling cancer at the roots

How do malignant tumours develop? How can they be prevented or at least diagnosed at an early stage and treated more effectively? The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg is working to understand what causes cancer and how it develops. These studies aim to improve prevention and develop new therapies.

The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is the largest biomedical research institute in Germany and is a member of the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centers. Ca. 3.000 staff members, including 1000 scientists, are investigating the mechanisms of cancer and are working to identify cancer risk factors. They provide the foundations for developing novel approaches in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. In addition, the staff of the Cancer Information Service (KID) offers information about the widespread disease of cancer for patients, their families, and the general public. The Center is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (90%) and the State of Baden-Württemberg (10%).