General Information
The West German Proton Therapy Centre in Essen (WPE) is one of the leading institutions for proton radiotherapy in Germany and one of the most advanced proton therapy centres in the world. Where, a team of specialists: doctors, radiographers and medical physicists, work together to treat patients with sensitive or deeply located tumours that are either difficult or impossible to operate on.
The WPE works closely with the other clinics and institutes of the UK Essen. For many years, oncology has been one of the focal points in clinic, research and teaching at the University Hospital Essen. Therefore the WPE is embedded in the West German Tumor Center (WTZ). The WTZ is the oldest and one of the largest tumor centers in Germany. Furthermore, it is one of 13 recognized top centers in Germany for tumor research, diagnostics, and therapy following the US-American model of a Comprehensive Care Center (CCC). In this way, patients benefit from the oncological expertise of all disciplines.
The WPE has the most advanced type of proton therapy – the so-called Pencil Beam Scanning – and is one of the most modern centers for proton therapy in the world. In Germany it is one of the leading facilities for proton radiation therapy and is also the largest facility at a university hospital. Over 1,500 patients from all over the world have already been treated at the WPE. The treatment of children is a special focus of the WPE, which houses the largest program for radiotherapeutic treatment of children in Europe.