What is the Prevention Outpatient Clinic?
The Prevention Outpatient Clinic in Heidelberg will be a unique point of contact for citizens throughout Germany. It is part of the National Cancer Prevention Center and will open in the coming years. Here, new approaches to cancer prevention and early detection will be researched in studies and put into practice. The clinic is currently testing its services for people in individual prevention studies with clear rules about who can and cannot participate.
Unlike traditional medical care, the clinic does not focus on diagnosis or therapy, Instead, it identifies health risks as early as possible and takes steps to address them. Your personal risk profile is the starting point for a consultation that uses the latest scientific findings.
A special feature of the clinic is that it combines individual cancer risk counseling and research. Together with prevention experts, you will be able to help develop and directly test new methods and programs in innovative prevention studies in the future.
Early detection services offered by family doctors or specialists remain important. The services provided are meant to complement these, not replace them.
Focus of the Prevention Outpatient Clinic
The Prevention Outpatient Clinic will combine individual, evidence-based counseling on cancer prevention and early detection with novel prevention approaches in the context of studies.
Your health comes first
The main focus of the clinic will be on keeping you healthy. The goal is to better use the great potential of cancer prevention. This means stopping cancer before it starts or detecting it as early as possible.
In fact, it's possible to prevent 40 out of 100 new cases of cancer just by making some simple changes to your lifestyle. Around 60 out of 100 cancer deaths could be prevented through a healthy lifestyle and regular check-ups.
The services of the Prevention Outpatient Clinic will therefore be aimed at all people who want to actively do something for their health – regardless of whether they feel healthy or are already coping with health challenges, such as chronic diseases or cancer.
Services for a healthy lifestyle
Research teams are developing concepts that promote health-conscious behavior in everyday life. Here is a list of what is planned:
- Group services with behavioral therapy, motivational, and informational elements
- Nutrition and exercise programs to reduce risk factors such as obesity, unhealthy eating, or lack of exercise
- Supplementary services such as smoking cessation, individual nutritional counseling, sports programs, age- and risk-appropriate early detection examinations, and genetic counseling
- Referrals to regional contact persons and assistance with scheduling appointments
Note: The services offered by the Prevention Outpatient Clinic will be available free of charge and without a referral.
Participate in studies and support research
Once the clinic opens, you can participate in prevention studies conducted by the DKFZ and its partner institutions. This may include, for example, donating data, participating in our registry study, or participating in studies to identify new biomarkers, genetic risk factors, imaging techniques, or app-based methods of early detection. To this end, you can voluntarily submit biological samples such as blood, saliva, urine, or stool.
New research projects on cancer prevention
In addition to the Prevention Outpatient Clinic, highly specialized research studios are currently being set up that are directly integrated into the outpatient structure. They are dedicated to key factors influencing the development of cancer:
- In the future, the Hopp Movement Laboratory will investigate the influence of physical activity on the development of cancer and what other lifestyle factors may play a role.
- The Viessmann Nutrition Workshop will focus on the connection between nutrition and cancer. The aim is to develop concepts that can help reduce individual cancer risk and strengthen health-conscious behavior in the long term.
Get in touch with us
Dr. med. Ursula Will
Medical Head