Dear Professor Rutkowski,
Professor Pfister,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to the 20th “International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-oncology” in Hamburg!
For the first time since its founding in 1986, the Symposium takes place in Germany. Our city is a good place for this event. With excellent research and patient care, Hamburg is a leading medical location in Europe.
We have almost 60 hospitals and a large number of outpatient facilities offering professional and highly specialized medical services. There is a wide range of renowned research facilities in Hamburg, including institutions of the Max Planck, Helmholtz, Leibniz and Fraunhofer Societies.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This international symposium is dedicated to a very important field in medicine.
Every year more than 2,000 children and adolescents in Germany are diagnosed with cancer. One in four new cases has neuro-oncological causes. The necessary therapies are lengthy and stressful. A cancer diagnosis means a deep cut in the lives of these young patients and their families.
The distinctive characteristics of cancer in childhood and adolescence require specific research to understand its causes and improve treatment options.
The “International Symposium on Paediatric Neuro-oncology” is designed for scientists from various disciplines as well as for healthcare professionals who can contribute their practical expertise.
The agenda of the Symposium was set by two leading institutions in the field of pediatric oncology in Germany:
- The “Hopp Children’s Tumour Centre Heidelberg” and
- the “Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology” at “University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf”.
Both are among the largest and most important facilities of their kind in Germany. The "Clinic for Pediatric Oncology" works closely with the research institute "Children's Cancer Center Hamburg".
It is also part of a network in which experts from all relevant disciplines across Germany share their experience and knowledge in order to develop new treatment strategies. Professor Rutkowski will present the treatment network in more detail later.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Advances in medical research are often achieved by bringing together different disciplines and innovative technologies. In Hamburg we are doing this on a larger scale. In our district Hamburg-Bahrenfeld we are developing a “Science City” that is created around DESY, one of the world’s leading accelerator centers.
The Science City will be
- a centers for basic research and applied science,
- a place of cooperation between the natural science institutes of the University of Hamburg and other scientific institutions, and
- an incubator for innovations and technology transfer.
The joint research in Science City Bahrenfeld at DESY's state-of-the-art particle accelerators and super microscopes has a lot to offer for medical research. Together, physicians, biologists, chemists, physicists and engineers can explore the interaction of molecules and basic biological processes.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The 20th “International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-oncology” will offer many opportunities to exchange ideas, make new contacts, and get to know Hamburg as a scientific hotspot.
I wish you interesting events and continued success in your projects and research.
And please enjoy your stay in Hamburg!
Thank you very much.