Lung cancer is a group of diseases that requires precise pathology and staging before a treatment strategy is selected. Depending on the diagnosis and disease extent, care may involve surgery, radiation, systemic therapy, local procedures or combinations of these approaches. A multidisciplinary review is therefore especially important.
What an interdisciplinary lung cancer center does
NCT Heidelberg describes daily interdisciplinary case conferences at its Lung Cancer Center, bringing together thoracic surgery, oncology, respiratory medicine, radiotherapy, radiology and pathology to develop patient-specific treatment concepts.
Prepare the evidence behind the diagnosis
A useful international review package should allow the German team to confirm the diagnosis and understand disease extent without relying only on a short referral note.
- Histology / cytology report and relevant biomarker or molecular results
- Current CT and PET/CT imaging with reports when performed
- Brain imaging when part of the existing staging work-up
- Bronchoscopy or surgical reports
- Pulmonary-function testing when available
- Previous chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy or radiotherapy details
- Current medication list and major comorbidities
Treatment can involve several modalities
Official NCT lung-cancer information lists surgery, radiotherapy, interventional tumor ablation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy among available treatment approaches. Which of these is relevant depends on the exact tumor type, stage, molecular findings and the individual's clinical condition.
How to evaluate a cancer center in Germany
A useful starting point is whether the center has transparent disease-specific certification and an interdisciplinary treatment structure. The German Cancer Society (DKG) publishes certified cancer centers through OncoMap. Certification is not a guarantee of a particular outcome, but it gives patients a verifiable quality framework instead of relying on paid 'best hospital' lists.
- Check disease-specific certification and its current status
- Confirm that the relevant specialties participate in multidisciplinary review
- Ask whether your case can be reviewed before travel
- Verify the official international-patient contact route
- Request an individualized treatment and cost estimate before booking travel
Second opinion and clinical trials
A second opinion may be valuable when operability, pathology, molecular findings or treatment sequencing is uncertain. Some university cancer centers also evaluate whether a clinical trial is appropriate, but trial eligibility is specific and should never be assumed before formal review.
Sources and review
This guide was last source-reviewed on 2026-08-29.
- Lung Cancer Center — National Center for Tumor Diseases Heidelberg ↗
- Lung Cancer – treatment and appointment information — National Center for Tumor Diseases Heidelberg ↗
- German Cancer Society certification system — Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft ↗
- Tumor Board — National Center for Tumor Diseases Heidelberg ↗