The German Cancer Aid (german: links=yes, Deutsche Krebshilfe) is a not-for-profit organization to fight cancer in all its forms. The institution was founded on September 25, 1974 by Dr. Mildred Scheel (1932–1985). She was the wife of Walter Scheel, the Federal President of Germany from 1974 to 1979. As the "First Lady", Mildred Scheel established the major cancer charity in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

. It became the leading organization fighting cancer in Europe. From the very beginning, the organization has been supported only by private donors. The German Cancer Aid has remained independent of politics and the pharmacological industry. Mildred Scheel’s credo was: "We are only devoted to fight cancer for the benefit of all people."

The motto and the Goal

Under the motto "Help. Research. Information", the organization sponsors and supports research projects to improve

prevention Prevention may refer to: Health and medicine * Preventive healthcare, measures to prevent diseases or injuries rather than curing them or treating their symptoms General safety * Crime prevention, the attempt to reduce deter crime and crimi ...

diagnosis Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines, with variations in the use of logic, analytics, and experience, to determine " cause and effect". In systems engin ...

therapy A therapy or medical treatment (often abbreviated tx, Tx, or Tx) is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a medical diagnosis. As a rule, each therapy has indications and contraindications. There are many differe ...

, after-care and

self-help Self-help or self-improvement is a self-guided improvement''APA Dictionary of Physicology'', 1st ed., Gary R. VandenBos, ed., Washington: American Psychological Association, 2007.—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a subst ...

. It helps to improve the equipment and personnel in hospitals and to remedy shortages and emergencies in institutions for therapy,

research Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness t ...

and rehabilitation. The German cancer patients who are in financial distress due to their disease can get advice, help and in certain cases also financial support. The German Cancer Aid and its "Dr. Mildred Scheel Foundation for Cancer Research" support numerous innovative research projects in order to develop new methods of therapy and diagnosis against

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bl ...

. The German Cancer Aid not only informs about the various types of cancer, but also about the possibilities of cancer prevention and motivates the population to get medical check-ups. "We organize and support medical education, education courses and information events in order to improve the fight against cancer", said the managing director Gerd Nettekoven.

President, Board of Directors and Medias

President of the organization since 2011 is Fritz Pleitgen, author and former leading German correspondent ( ARD and

WDR WDR may refer to: * Waddell & Reed (stock ticker: WDR), an American asset management and financial planning company * Walt Disney Records, an American record label of the Disney Music Group * WDR neuron, a type of neuron involved in pain signall ...

) He is elected for five years. Pleitgen succeeded

Harald zur Hausen Harald zur Hausen NAS EASA APS (; born 11 March 1936) is a German virologist and professor emeritus. He has done research on cervical cancer and discovered the role of papilloma viruses in cervical cancer, for which he received the Nobel ...

(Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2008). He was the president of the German Cancer Aid in 2010. The Chairman of the Board of Directors is Hans-Peter Kraemer (

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

). He is supported by nine colleagues and cancer experts, including Otmar Wiestler. Managing director since decades is Gerd Nettekoven. The German Cancer Aid is known for its information department. Outreach director Christiana Tschoepe is a cancer expert herself. She developed with her team brochures to inform the public regularly about the various types of cancer. All information material on cancer can be accessed free. The press office organises information events and cancer-campaigns, follows the motto "Helping. Researching. Informing." The public relation of the organization supports the German-Transatlantic cooperation to fight cancer.

Headquarters and institutions

The headquarters of the German Cancer Aid are located at Busch-Strasse 32, in 53113 Bonn. An additional office is in the German capital

Berlin Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...

, in order to keep contacts to the government administration and the Parliament. The headquarters in Bonn manage the day-to-day business of the subsidiary organizations. These are: •Dr. Mildred Scheel Foundation for Cancer Research, founded on February 16, 1976 •Mildred Scheel Kreis e.V., Association, established on November 7, 1977 •Dr. Mildred Scheel Academy of Education and Research GmbH (Cologne), founded on April 30, 1992

German Cancer Congress

The German Cancer Congress 2014 in Berlin was organized by the first time in cooperation of the German Cancer Aid and the German Cancer Society. Both leading institutions are bringing their experts and expertise, along with many other relevant specialists in this multifaceted and complex field of oncological patient care, to the conference.Press release 20.December 2013, Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft

Since 1951, the German Cancer Congress has been organized by the German Cancer Society. The event is the largest and oldest congress in Europe, covering cancer diagnostics and therapy in Germany. The Congress program focuses on the three substantial challenges that currently preoccupy cancer medicine: enhancing interdisciplinarity, rapid integration and financing of innovations, and increasing individualization of therapy decisions after molecular-genetic diagnostics.

References

External links

*
Short Biography of Mildred Scheel
{{Authority control Medical and health organisations based in North Rhine-Westphalia Cancer organisations based in Germany Organisations based in Bonn