The West German Proton Therapy Centre Essen (WPE)

WPE (the West German Proton Therapy Centre Essen) is one of the leading proton radiotherapy centres in Germany.

As part of the University Medical Centre of Essen, it is firmly embedded within the West German Cancer Centre Essen (WTZ). This enables us to offer patients from across Germany and beyond tumour therapy with few side effects – in collaboration with all the specialist disciplines their treatment requires.

Proton therapy at WPE in Essen – at the very forefront of technology

Radiotherapy using protons is a highly modern and effective form of radiotherapy. At WPE, we use the most highly developed form of proton therapy – pencil beam scanning (PBS). The technique irradiates the neuroblastoma using a pencil-tip thin beam which we steer point by point over the entire three-dimensional space of the tumour.

The benefit of this is that it enables us to treat the diseased tissue whilst excluding most of the surrounding areas. This ensures radiotherapy has fewer side effects and often involves fewer treatment sessions. Both these benefits mean significantly better quality of life for our patients.

Technical equipment

WPE has four therapy rooms with different proton modalities. Three of the treatment rooms have 360-degree rotating gantries. The tables, too, can be rotated in all directions, enabling us to choose the best angle for irradiation. The images are taken using X-rays, computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

More about proton therapy

If you’d like to find out more about the impact and characteristics of proton therapy, you’ll find all the relevant information here.

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What tumours does WPE treat?

At WPE, we currently focus on treating the following types of tumours:

Non-respiratory tumours of the head, spinal column and pelvic area, i.e. mainly
- primary brain tumours as well as sarcomas of the base of the skull, facial bones, spinal column and pelvis
- Prostate carcinomas
- Head and neck tumours, such as nasopharyngeal carcinomas
- Lymphomas
- Ocular tumours (eye tumours)
Moving tumours in the breast and liver areas

We also offer proton radiotherapy for the entire central nervous system (craniospinal treatment). The proton beams enable us to protect internal organs such as the heart, intestines, thyroid gland and ovaries to best effect. We are also one of the few centres in Europe that can routinely offer children under sedation access to this complex form of treatment.

Tumours treatable at WPE

Here you’ll find a full up-to-date list of cancers that can be treated at WPE.

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WPE and paediatric cancer treatment

WPE is one of the leading proton therapy facilities in Germany and is the largest one of its kind at any German university hospital. This is also reflected in the number of successful treatments we have carried out on children:

Our Essen facility has already treated over 5,000 patients from all over the world with proton therapy. Children made up over half of this number.
Every year we are treating around 300 children at WPE. By the end of 2024, we had treated over 2,500 children in total.
By spring 2022, over 1,000 children had been treated under light anaesthetic. We currently conduct 25–35 sedations per day.

Treatment of children is a particular centre of emphasis of our work at WPE. We currently offer Europe’s largest programme of paediatric radiotherapy treatment. Thanks to this expertise, we have partnerships with many facilities in Germany and Europe that refer children to us for proton therapy.

Proton therapy for childhood tumours

Proton radiotherapy can be particularly beneficial for childhood tumours. At WPE, we have all the relevant expertise and even treat children under the age of five.

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The University Medical Centre of Essen

WPE’s Department of Particle Therapy is part of the University Medical Centre of Essen and works closely with the other departments, clinics and institutes. This includes oncology, which has been a focal point of clinical practice, research and teaching at University Hospital Essen for many years. This is why WPE is also embedded with in the West German Cancer Centre (WTZ Essen).

WTZ is the oldest, and at the same time one of the largest, cancer centres in Germany. It is also one of only 13 recognised centres of excellence in Germany for tumour research, diagnostics and therapy based on the US model of a Comprehensive Care Centre (CCC). It has OnkoZert certification and is part of the German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK).

The collaboration means patients at WPE get the benefit of oncological expertise across all disciplines – especially when the home hospital is far away and local oncological expertise is required. For example, it is possible to undergo chemotherapy at University Hospital Essen at the same time. In principle, though, this can also take place at the home hospital.