The Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ) is a joint institution of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), and Heidelberg University (Uni HD).
In 2019, the clinic was certified as a “Pediatric Oncology Center” for the first time. The current recertification once again confirms the quality of care provided to patients at KiTZ and enables further optimizations in everyday clinical practice and internal quality management.
Since 2017, pediatric oncology units have been able to obtain certification as a “Pediatric Oncology Center” provided they meet strictly defined quality requirements. These include the specifications of the Joint Federal Committee (GBA) in accordance with its guidelines for pediatric oncology. Additional criteria are included in the DKG certification catalog. These include requirements for the care of oncology patients and for quality assurance in treatment. Each year, a review is conducted to determine whether the technical requirements for the treatment of tumor diseases are being met. The established quality management system is also reviewed.
With around 2,000 new cases per year, cancer in children is relatively rare compared to adults, and the chances of recovery are usually good: around 80 percent of children and adolescents who develop cancer can now be cured using standard procedures. However, for patients whose cancer recurs or progresses after treatment, experts at KiTZ work together in tumor boards to develop an individualized treatment plan tailored to each patient. With this interdisciplinary team of pediatric hematologists-oncologists, pediatric surgeons, pediatric radiologists, pathologists, and radiation therapists, KiTZ fulfills an important criterion required in the certification catalog.
