In recent decades, radiation therapy has undergone rapid development due to technical innovations and has evolved into a highly precise form of treatment. Modern radiation equipment now makes it possible to irradiate tumors located deep in the body in such a way that neighboring organs are spared as far as possible. To ensure this high degree of targeting accuracy, three-dimensional, computer-assisted radiation planning is carried out in advance, using imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or positron emission tomography (PET) to provide an exact representation of the tumor and the surrounding healthy normal tissue. The goal of this "local" cancer therapy is to cure the patient or to alleviate his or her symptoms in the case of advanced disease.
As the largest clinic for radiation oncology in Eastern Saxony, the Clinic and Polyclinic for Radiation Therapy and Radion Oncology of the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus treats approximately 2,400 oncological patients annually, of which approximately 550 are inpatients and 20 % are treated within the framework of clinical studies. In addition to the state-of-the-art conventional radiation equipment, two additional high-precision forms of treatment are available for this purpose. One is the University Proton Therapy Dresden, which has already enabled the therapy of specific tumor types within the framework of scientific studies since 2014, and the other is the "MR-LINAC", which, through a combination of MRI imaging and linear accelerator, has now allowed the precise detection and irradiation of soft tissue tumors since 2022.
In the inpatient area, the focus is on various combination treatments of radiotherapy and chemotherapy as well as the care of palliative patients. In the outpatient area, patients with various tumors are irradiated alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents.
