University Hospital Erlangen
The University Hospital Erlangen was founded at 1824. 24 departments, 19 independent divisions and six institutes cover the full range of medical specialties. A close interdisciplinary co-operation ensures that patients are treated where it is best for them. Interdisciplinary centers are also active in the management of complex diseases. The University Hospital Erlangen is one of largest in Germany, with over 1400 beds, and treats over 65,000 in-patients and 370,000 out-patients annually.
Brachytherapy expertise
As one of the largest centers for brachytherapy in Germany and Europe, the Division of Interventional Radiation Therapy (Brachytherapy), Erlangen University Hospital has established a significant clinical practice and research expertise in a broad range of body sites and techniques, for example in breast (including partial breast irradiation), prostate, gynecological, head and neck, anal, penile, esophageal and lung cancer, but also ocular tumors, sarcomas etc. Active since 1983, the group opened a dedicated state-of-the-art brachytherapy department incorporating the most recent technologies and equipment in 2010. The Division of Interventional Radiation Therapy (Brachytherapy) treats about 400 patients per year using modern image-guided brachytherapy, and has a dedicated surgical theatre incorporating online imaging using 3-D cone-beam CT and 3D-ultrasound devices with functional imaging.
Educational activities
The members of the brachytherapy staff are internationally renowned researchers and presenters at international meetings and conferences. In 2012 a very successful two-day educational workshop, entitled ‘How to do state-of-the-art brachytherapy, basic principles’, was organized together with Elekta. An integrated multidisciplinary overview of the latest innovations in brachytherapy treatment, with a special focus on brachytherapy techniques in the treatment of breast cancer – both as boost and APBI, and esophageal cancer – both as boost and monotherapy was provided in an open and interactive setting.
BrachyTalk
Vratislav Strnad: ‘Views on Brachytherapy’
Vratislav Strnad: ‘Level 1 evidence for brachy APBI