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The Center for Neuroendocrine Tumors at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Lower Saxony (CCC-N) has received ENETS certification. Patient involvement is a key component.
The Comprehensive Cancer Center Lower Saxony (CCC-N) is advancing personalized diagnostics and treatment for rare cancers: The newly established Center of Excellence for Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NEN), with locations at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) and Hannover Medical School (MHH), has been certified for the first time by the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) as a Center of Excellence. It is thus one of only 15 specialized centers currently in Germany.
Diagnostic and therapeutic challenges
“The umbrella term ‘neuroendocrine neoplasms’ refers to various tumors that, while they can occur in different organs, all originate in so-called neuroendocrine cells,” explains PD Dr. Thomas Wirth, Director of the Center for Neuroendocrine Tumors at the Hanover campus and senior physician in the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases, and Endocrinology at Hannover Medical School (MHH). “ These cells are found in numerous organs of the human body, meaning that neuroendocrine tumors can, in principle, develop almost anywhere. However, they are most commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract, particularly in the small intestine, appendix, stomach, and pancreas.”
Diagnosis is often challenging because neuroendocrine tumors typically grow slowly, cause nonspecific symptoms for long periods, and are therefore frequently detected at a late stage. This is compounded by their varied clinical presentation, which can result in widely differing imaging and laboratory findings. Treatment is also complex and requires a personalized strategy that takes into account the tumor type, hormonal activity, disease stage, and growth dynamics in equal measure.
Patients require comprehensive, individually tailored diagnostics and treatment. This calls for specialized expertise and experience. Through close integration into the European ENETS network, patients gain access to current treatment standards, innovative treatment approaches, and clinical trials at the forefront of European medicine. The NEN Center thus makes an important contribution to the further development of specialized care for rare tumor diseases—regionally, nationally, and internationally.
Concentrated expertise within an interdisciplinary network
At the CCC-N’s NEN Center, specialized teams with extensive expertise collaborate across disciplines—including experts in gastroenterology, oncology, endocrinology, surgery, radiology, nuclear medicine, and pathology. “Our common goal is to provide patients with access to innovative, evidence-based treatment approaches tailored to the specific characteristics of their disease,” explains PD Dr. Alexander König, spokesperson for the NEN Center at the CCC-N, director of the Center for Neuroendocrine Tumors at the Göttingen site, and senior physician in the Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology, and Endocrinology at the UMG. “We utilize state-of-the-art diagnostic procedures, innovative therapeutic strategies, and structured follow-up care plans. Our goal is to provide the best possible medical care while simultaneously ensuring and improving quality of life.”
“This certification is a special recognition of our joint efforts and the high level of commitment shown by all the departments involved,” explain the two center directors. It is noteworthy that the certification was achieved just about a year after the center was established—a testament to the swift, structured development process and the close, trusting collaboration between UMG and MHH.
Patient involvement as a key component
A distinctive feature of the NEN Center is the close involvement of patients and their advocacy groups. To this end, the CCC-N’s NEN Center maintains close communication with the Neuroendocrine Tumors Network (NeT) e.V. Additionally, two patient representatives—Dr. Susanne Ude-Koeller and Dr. Kristina Dmoch-Bockhorn—are actively involved in the center, having played a key role in guiding and supporting its establishment and certification.
“For patients with neuroendocrine tumors, it is crucial to receive treatment at a specialized center that combines expertise, interdisciplinary collaboration, and access to modern therapies,” emphasizes Dr. Susanne Ude-Koeller, patient representative for the Göttingen site. “The new NEN Center at the CCC-N creates exactly these conditions and provides patients with additional reassurance and guidance in what is often a complex medical situation.”
Office Hours and Contact Information
Patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms can contact the NEN Center at the CCC-N for evaluation and treatment planning.
Hanover Campus (MHH):
Contact the Gastroenterology-Oncology Day Clinic and Outpatient Clinic:
Hours: Mon–Thu 8:00 AM–3:30 PM and Fri 8:00 AM–1:30 PM
Phone hours: Mon–Thu 10:00 AM–12:00 PM and Fri 2:00 PM–3:00 PM
Email: gastro-onkologische-tagesklinik.ambx@mh-hannover.de
Göttingen location (UMG):
Contact: angela.gries@med.uni-goettingen.de or elsbeth.kersting@med.uni-goettingen.de
Office hours:
• until July 1, 2026: Tuesdays, 8:00 AM–3:00 PM
• starting July 1, 2026: Thursdays, 8:00 AM–3:00 PM
SERVICE
You can find more information and contact details here: https://www.ccc-niedersachsen.eu/behandlung/nen-zentrum/
For further information, please contact PD Dr. Thomas Wirth, Wirth.Thomas@mh-hannover.de, or PD Dr. Alexander König at christa.lichte-adelski@med.uni-goettingen.de.
Interdisciplinary collaboration at the NEN Center of the CCC-N.
Copyright: Jana Illmer/MHH
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