Hendrik Wüst visits Essen Cancer Center: Revolution by AI!

Hendrik Wüst visits Essen Cancer Center: Revolution by AI!

Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst visited the West German Proton Therapy Center (WPE) at the University Hospital Essen on December 30, 2024, which specializes in the treatment of cancer with proton therapy. This form of radiation therapy is considered gentle, precise and low -side effect, which is why it is also suitable for children. During his visit, Wüst found out about the work of the treating doctors and the technologies that are used there. His meeting with a patient who successfully completed his last treatment that day was particularly touching.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, around 100,000 people are diagnosed with cancer annually. During his visit, Wüst emphasized the importance of scientific excellence and modern technology in the fight against this disease. The WPE is part of the West German Tumor Center (WTZ) of the University Hospital Essen, which together with the Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO) forms the Cancer Research Center Cologne Essen (CCCE). The CCCE aims to improve patients' chances of survival through personalized therapies and is funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with 20 million euros.

Current developments in cancer research

In November 2023, the CCCE was awarded the national center for tumor diseases (NCT) and thus receives additional funding from the federal government. An important aspect of cancer research in Essen is the use of artificial intelligence (AI), which contributes to improving the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (IKIM) was founded in Essen in 2020. Artificial intelligence relieves doctors in oncology by automated and optimizing key tasks, which increases the quality of life and treatment of the patient, as is explained in an article on jumper.

The applications of AI in oncology are diverse. It enables early detection of anomalies in the body, develops personalized treatment plans and accelerates the identification of new medication. AI algorithms analyze large amounts of data to identify risk factors for cancer and increase the accuracy of diagnoses. For example, the AI ​​significantly improves the diagnosis speed and accuracy for tumor detection in mammographies.

Wüst regularly emphasizes the outstanding work and the commitment of institutions that make a special contribution to medical care in North Rhine-Westphalia.