German Cancer Research Center

The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) is the largest biomedical research institution in Germany. With over 3,300 employees, the Helmholtz Center, headquartered in Heidelberg, researches how cancer develops, how the disease can be diagnosed and treated - and how cancer can be prevented. In more than 90 divisions and research groups, researchers are looking for agents that specifically target cancer-driving mutations and thus adapt the therapy to the individual disease. They are researching ways to activate the immune system, which is inhibited by cancer. They are using new methods to get an idea of the aggressiveness of tumors and are targeting radiation more and more precisely to the cancer. They determine factors that increase the risk of developing cancer and investigate how each individual can minimize their risk of developing the disease. At DKFZ the scientific basis was developed for the vaccination against human papillomaviruses, which protects against cervical cancer and other tumors. The DKFZ attaches particular importance to the rapid transfer of knowledge into clinical practice and the provision of scientifically sound information to patients and their families. The aim of the DKFZ is to carry out cutting-edge research for a life without cancer.