In 2020, the Department of Hematology & Internal Oncology and the Clinic for Children & Adolescents established a joint interdisciplinary centre for oncological studies including an early clinical trials unit at the ICCA Tumor Center at the University Hospital Augsburg. ECTU).

Under the leadership of experienced clinicians, a very effective, interdisciplinary and versatile structure is being developed, which aims at the rapid implementation of new treatment concepts into the clinical care programs. The joint initiative enables effective, quality-controlled use of existing resources and opens up the possibility of offering new tumour therapies to patients of all ages in a short period of time. In close coordination with the molecular tumor board of the ICCA as well as the supra-regional study groups and specialist societies from both disciplines, special attention will be paid to the identification and specific therapeutic use of new molecular target structures for tumor treatment. In addition, the focus will be on the adolescents and young adults (AYA) patient group between the ages of 15 and 25.

AYA combines characteristics of children and adults, so special treatment algorithms need to be developed for these patients. The close interdisciplinary cooperation between children and adult oncology is an ideal prerequisite for this.