Department of Radiation Therapy - University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf

About the Department of Radiation Therapy at University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf

The Department of Radiation Therapy at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf provides a full range of medical services in its area of ​​competence and specializes in all types of modern radiation therapy using the latest technological achievements. The main profile of the healthcare facility is the treatment of oncological diseases. Therapeutic options also include irradiation for benign pathologies, such as degenerative joint changes. The department's team of radiation therapists is highly qualified and has all the necessary resources to perform 3D conformal radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), intensity-modulated tomotherapy, image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), stereotactic radiotherapy, respiratory-guided radiotherapy, brachytherapy, total body irradiation, and combined chemoradiotherapy. The department treats more than 1,800 patients annually, over 1,300 of whom receive treatment on an outpatient basis. Medical care is provided by a highly skilled team of physicians, including 22 radiation therapists, 12 medical physicists, and 30 medical technologists. Specialists provide the highest quality of treatment in the most comfortable environment, observing the principles of a humane approach to the patient. The optimal type of radiation therapy, the duration of the course of treatment, and its intensity are determined individually, taking into account the characteristics of the clinical case. Thanks to the use of state-of-the-art equipment, radiation therapy in the department is characterized by exceptional efficiency and a high degree of safety. The Head Physician of the department is Prof. Dr. med. Cordula Petersen.

The key to effective radiation therapy is the availability of state-of-the-art equipment that allows physicians to plan the upcoming course of treatment and deliver the optimal dose of radiation to the target with a high degree of accuracy, without causing serious damage to adjacent healthy tissues. The medical facility is equipped with advanced technologies, including TrueBeam STx and TrueBeam Tx linear accelerators, a tomotherapy unit, a Somatom go.Open Pro 4D computer scanner, an IntraBeam Intraoperative RT device, and a MicroSelectron brachytherapy system. An equally important role in the success of radiation therapy is played by the expert experience and professional skills of the doctors – the department has one of the best teams of radiation therapists in the country, which has gained wide recognition among patients and in professional medical circles.

The therapeutic process in the department begins with an individual consultation with the attending physician, during which the specialist studies the clinical data, offers possible radiation therapy options, and talks about the potential treatment results and possible side effects. This is followed by the preparation phase for radiotherapy, during which the patient undergoes CT diagnostics with the application of special markers to ensure maximum accuracy of irradiation. Radiation therapy is administered in strict accordance with an individualized regimen for each patient and in compliance with current radiation safety standards. In most cases, irradiation is administered once a day 4-5 times a week. The duration of the course of treatment can be from 2 to 8 weeks, depending on the diagnosis and personal indications. Radiation therapy is usually performed on an outpatient basis. The treatment is absolutely painless, but at the same time highly effective. At the end of the treatment, the patient is given recommendations for follow-up care.

The department provides medical care to patients with both malignant and benign diseases, with an emphasis on cancer treatment: head and neck tumors, gynecological and urological cancers, gastrointestinal cancers, breast cancer, bone and soft tissue sarcomas, and skin cancer. In the area of benign disease treatment, the department's physicians most often see patients with arthrosis, heel spurs, meningiomas, acoustic neuromas, and glomus tumors.

The department successfully performs radiation therapy for the following malignant and benign diseases:

• Malignant diseases
  • Brain cancer and brain metastases
  • Head and neck malignancies
  • Eye malignancies
  • Malignant lymphomas
  • Lung cancer
  • Male genital cancer: prostate cancer and testicular cancer
  • Female genital cancer: uterine cancer, cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, and vulvar cancer
  • Breast cancer
  • Bladder cancer
  • Esophageal cancer
  • Rectal cancer
  • Anal cancer
  • Stomach cancer
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Skin cancer
  • Bone and soft tissue sarcomas
  • Bone metastases
• Benign diseases
  • Arthrosis
  • Scapulohumeral periarthritis
  • Heel spur
  • Achilles tendinitis
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Heterotopic ossification
  • Dupuytren's contracture
  • Endocrine ophthalmopathy
  • Meningioma
  • Acoustic neuroma
  • Chordoma
  • Glomus tumors
• Other diseases

The department offers the following types of radiation therapy:

• 3D conformal radiation therapy
• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
• Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)
• Intensity-modulated tomotherapy
• Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT)
• Stereotactic irradiation: cranial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and extracranial stereotactic radiotherapy (SBRT)
• Respiratory-guided radiotherapy
• Brachytherapy
• Total body irradiation
• Combined chemoradiation therapy
• Other types of radiation therapy