LMU coordinates the first master's degree program for precision oncology in Germany

21.09.2022 17:45

Precision oncology is based on the interaction of modern molecular diagnostics and biomarker-controlled therapy and aims to offer individualized, “tailor-made” therapies to cancer patients. In Germany, major structural efforts have been made in recent years to give patients access to innovative tumor diagnostics using high-throughput sequencing. The challenge is to translate the complex diagnostic information into personalized therapies.

This is the task of interdisciplinary teams with complementary expertise who develop treatment recommendations in so-called molecular tumor boards. However, there is a lack of qualified specialist staff who can competently advise and treat the growing number of patients - and so far there is no structured training and further education for medical and scientific staff.

To close this gap, Dr. Benedikt Westphalen from the LMU Clinic Munich (speaker and main applicant), Prof. Dr. Martin Fischer from the Institute for Didactics and Training Research in Medicine, LMU, (Deputy Speaker) and Prof. Dr. Dr. Sonja Loges from the Mannheim University Medicine (UMM) and the DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the UMM (deputy spokesperson) in cooperation with the universities of Aachen and Essen raised 630,000 euros in funding from the German Cancer Aid. This is intended to finance the conception and sustainable implementation of the interdisciplinary master's degree program in precision oncology at the LMU as well as partial scholarships for particularly qualified candidates.

Under the leadership of the LMU Munich and in collaboration with other German universities, the interdisciplinary master's program PRECISE, which is unique in Germany, is expected to start in the winter semester of 2023/2024. It is aimed primarily at scientific and medical staff from molecular tumor boards or precision oncology programs. Both face-to-face events and virtual communication of content are planned. The patron is the dean of the Medical Faculty of the LMU Munich, Prof. Dr. Thomas Gudermann.