Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin | Cancer Care

Charité traces its origins to 1710 and is now a major public university hospital associated with Berlin's medical teaching and research. It operates across several campuses, bringing together hospital care, medical education and laboratory research. For cancer patients, this structure enables involvement of different specialties when diagnosis or treatment requires expertise beyond a single department.

The Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center provides an organisational framework for oncology care and research. Multidisciplinary tumour boards bring together relevant specialists to review findings and recommend treatment pathways. A recommendation may involve treatment at Charité, further investigations or care coordinated with the patient's existing oncology team; an assessment does not necessarily lead to hospital admission.

Charité has an extensive network of certified organ cancer centres alongside services for haematological malignancies and less common cancers. Certification relates to defined services and quality requirements rather than guaranteeing an individual outcome. Patients should establish which department and campus would manage their particular diagnosis, as the comprehensive cancer centre is not a single ward or treatment location.

Liver, lung and breast cancers are important areas within Charité's oncology services. Liver cancer assessment may require input from hepatology, surgery, oncology and radiology, particularly when underlying liver disease affects treatment choices. Lung cancer care depends on histological classification, staging and relevant biomarkers. Breast cancer pathways consider receptor status, inherited risk where appropriate and the balance between local and systemic treatments.

Blood cancer services cover diseases such as leukaemias, lymphomas and myeloma, with specialist assessment for intensive therapies and cellular treatment where indicated. Rare cancers may require additional pathology review and discussion across disciplines because evidence and approved options can be limited. Patients with an uncommon tumour should ask whether a dedicated team manages that exact subtype and whether external expert review or a research pathway would be appropriate.

Surgery and radiation therapy form part of Charité's cancer treatment services. Their role depends on the tumour's location, extent and the patient's fitness, and they may be combined with systemic treatment. Patients should ask whether the proposed aim is cure, reducing recurrence risk, controlling disease or relieving symptoms, and whether less intensive alternatives are reasonable.

Drug treatments include chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapies. Precision oncology uses tumour characteristics, including molecular findings, to help guide decisions in selected situations. Testing does not always identify an actionable alteration, and an identified target does not necessarily mean that a suitable medicine is approved, available or funded. Treatment recommendations should distinguish established indications from investigational or off-label use.

Charité has a CAR-T and cellular therapy programme. CAR-T treatment involves modifying a patient's immune cells and is used for selected blood cancers under specific eligibility criteria. Assessment includes previous treatment, disease status and organ function. Patients may need preparatory treatment, close monitoring and a period near the treating hospital because serious complications can occur. Its availability should not be interpreted as routine access for solid tumours.

Charité's oncology research portfolio is described as including around 300 active clinical trials. This is an indicative figure rather than a verified live recruitment count; study status and available places change. Trials may examine new drugs, treatment combinations, biomarkers or other aspects of care. An active study may be following existing participants without accepting new patients.

International patients can ask the relevant disease-specific team to review their records for potential trial eligibility. Screening may require pathology material, recent imaging, molecular results and additional tests. Protocol criteria, previous therapies, laboratory findings and the ability to attend repeated visits all matter. Enrolment requires formal screening and informed consent; neither overseas residence nor willingness to self-fund guarantees access. Trial participation may also complicate plans for follow-up at home.

Start with a clinical enquiry supported by a concise diagnosis and treatment history. Request confirmation that the appropriate department can review the case, what further information is needed and whether an initial remote review is possible. Avoid interrupting current treatment while awaiting a response unless your treating clinician advises this. A proposed plan may change after pathology review or in-person assessment.

Before booking travel, obtain written clarification of the intended assessment, likely treatment pathway and financial arrangements. Ask how long you may need to remain in Berlin without assuming a fixed schedule. Agree who will manage complications, prescriptions and monitoring after return home. For complex treatment, especially cellular therapy or a trial, local accommodation, a caregiver and repeated visits may be necessary.

Contact details below come from the hospital's own published international patient information.

Location: Berlin, Germany

Email: international@charite.de

Phone: +49 30 450 577 000

Website: https://www.charite.de

Languages supported: German, English, Russian, Arabic

Remote second opinion: Available

Always confirm current contact details on the hospital's own website before sending medical records, and never send documents to an address you have not verified.