Department of Adult and Pediatric Radiation Therapy - University Hospital Erlangen

About the Department of Adult and Pediatric Radiation Therapy at University Hospital Erlangen

According to the Focus magazine, the Department of Adult and Pediatric Radiation Therapy at the University Hospital Erlangen ranks among the best German medical facilities specializing in radiation therapy!

The department offers the full range of services in this medical field and is one of the most modern departments of this kind in Germany. The medical facility provides comprehensive treatment for various malignant diseases, which includes both radiation therapy and maintenance therapy (for example, pain therapy, diet therapy). The department uses state-of-the-art technical equipment, which allows for the most effective irradiation of the cancer focus with minimal harm to healthy tissues. In addition, the department provides innovative types of treatment – interventional radiation therapy and regional deep hyperthermia. All medical services comply with the highest international standards, and the department's medical team strictly adheres to radiation protection standards. The department's doctors have long clinical experience, and therefore they competently select the optimal course of radiation therapy for each patient to destroy cancer cells. The treatment is provided in close cooperation with oncologists, chemotherapists and other experts from related specialties. The Chief Physician of the department is Prof. Dr. med. Rainer Fietkau.

Different tumors require different forms of radiation therapy, which the department's specialists carry out in modern rooms equipped with the state-of-the-art medical equipment. On July 20, 2021, an innovative Halcyon linear accelerator manufactured by Varian was put into operation in the department. It is a unique device with an innovative circular gantry design and a patented multi-leaf double-layer collimator, which allows for targeted irradiation of the tumor with maximum preservation of healthy tissues and organs. Visually, the Halcyon device is very similar to a CT machine. Reduced noise levels, a low and smooth-moving treatment table and soft recessed lighting make the patient feel as comfortable and safe as possible during treatment. The main advantage of the new device is the fast speed of imaging and its highest quality, thanks to which the attending physician can be sure that the radiation beams are directed exactly at the tumor and do not damage healthy adjacent tissues.

Since radiation therapy is one of the main components of clinical protocols for cancer treatment, the department's medical team admits patients suffering from various types of cancer: breast cancer, oncological diseases of the female and male reproductive organs, gastrointestinal tract and urinary system, soft tissue sarcomas, head and neck tumors, lung cancer, etc.

Doctors, medical physicists, radiobiology specialists, technical assistants and nursing staff cooperate closely with other departments of the hospital, thereby ensuring the most favorable treatment outcomes. Prior to a course of radiation therapy, doctors carefully plan the upcoming treatment with computed tomography. After the completion of radiation therapy, patients receive follow-up care – the necessary medical care and medical advice.

It is worth noting that the department's specialists made a significant contribution to the development of radiation oncology in Germany. The department has also gained a reputation as a center of reference for various oncological diseases and participates in promising international research projects.

The department offers the following types of radiation therapy:

• Image-guided radiation therapy
• Extra- and intracranial stereotactic irradiation
• Hyperthermia
• Hypofractional high-precision high-dose radiation therapy 
• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT, VMAT)
• Interventional radiation therapy (brachytherapy)
• Radiochemotherapy
• Radiation therapy for pain relief
• 3D conformal radiation therapy
• Other types of irradiation

The department's range of medical services includes:

• Organ-preserving breast treatment in women – partial breast irradiation
• Definitive or consolidation radiation therapy for lymphomas
• Definitive radiochemotherapy for primary inoperable pancreatic cancer
• Total body irradiation before bone marrow transplantation in children and adults
• Neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy for esophageal cancer
• Surgical radiation therapy (brachytherapy) for breast cancer, prostate cancer, tumors of the head and neck, cervix, uterus, vagina and external genital organs, penis and choroid
• Radiochemotherapy with deep hyperthermia for superficial and muscle invasive bladder cancer (as an alternative to primary cystectomy)
• Postoperative and definitive radiochemotherapy for brain tumors
• Primary radiochemotherapy of the upper digestive tract
• Primary radiochemotherapy for anal cancer
• Primary radiochemotherapy for lung cancer
• Radiochemotherapy for rectal cancer before surgery (neoadjuvant) or after surgery (adjuvant)
• Radiation therapy for benign diseases such as degenerative joint diseases, endocrine ophthalmopathy, Dupuytren's contracture or Ledderhose disease (cicatricial degeneration of the plantar or palmar aponeurosis), as well as radiation therapy before and after joint replacement surgery (for the prevention of calcification)
• Other medical services