Presentation of the Centre
The Maastricht UMC+ Comprehensive Cancer Center (MCCC) is a collaboration between Maastricht UMC+ Oncology Center (OC) and the Oncology division of GROW – Research Institute for Oncology and Reproduction, of the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences of Maastricht University. We work together with our partners inside and outside Maastricht UMC+ to provide the best possible oncological care, scientific research and education and training.
We provide patient-oriented, multidisciplinary care for oncology patients and study ways to improve the outcome of oncological (pre-)care along the continuum of prevention, diagnostics, treatment, nursing and care, and rehabilitation/post-care with a strong focus on ‘survival with preservation of function’. Within the oncologic network southeast Netherlands (OncoZON), MCCC cooperates with nine other hospitals with the purpose to provide the best possible oncologic care for all patients regardless of the hospital where they enter.
Our core values are:
Leading the way in healthcare, scientific research and education. In addition to tertiary referral care and top clinical patient care, our core tasks are scientific research, education and training, and knowledge utilisation.
Driven in our pursuit of excellence we distinguish ourselves nationally and internationally by focussing not only on restoring people to health but also on helping them stay healthy and improve their health.
Empathic in our relationships we work together on our strategic focus of Healthy Living, based on four programme priorities that offer everyone the opportunity to contribute to our shared aims within their own context:
- Connecting research, education and healthcare
- The future of our healthcare
- Partner in networks
- Organisational development
Unifying for our environment in cooperation with our network partners, we are uniquely equipped to deliver healthcare services from baseline to tertiary level and thus offer precisely the right care where it is needed, but also to investigate and implement new sustainable and affordable prevention and healthcare models.
In the past years Maastricht UMC+ opened the new outpatient oncology center, a facility adjacent to the main hospital, and a new oncologic outpatient day care chemotherapy unit both designed along the concept of multidisciplinary clinical care pathways in a ‘healing environment’. The inpatient care is organized along the same patient centered principles rather than the traditional medical specialties. In 2023 MCCC provided cancer care for almost 16000 new patients.
Main research activities
We feel it is important that our research actually leads to changes and improvements in clinical practice. Thus we can ensure that we supply the best possible care and that tomorrow's care will be even better. There are numerous examples as how to put our ideas into practice. We identify which (environmental) factors may heighten the risks of contracting cancer. Through prevention we ensure that our population is less endangered by these factors. We develop and implement new methods for early detection of cncer and treatments, which have less side-effects. We develop new techniques to treat these side-effects. Simultaneously, we study how patients in their way can contribute to their own treatment and further progression of preservation of function. The circles of innovation (2018) of the MCCC show how our scientists and healthcare professionals collaborate and contribute to the survival of cancer with preservation of function.
As mentioned before the MCCC is al collaboration between the Maastricht UMC+ Oncology Center and the Oncology division of GROW-Research Institute for Oncology and Reproduction. GROW Oncology and Developmental Biology aims to prevent cancer, improve diagnosis, increase survival rates, and maintain optimal functional abilities for cancer patients. By collaborating closely with Affiliation Professors working in non-academic hospitals in OncoZON the link is made between MCCC and its partners. Research is organized in three programs. The programme ‘Prevention’ aims at establishing the potential role of environmental factors and lifestyle in cancer development and progression in order to develop targeted strategies for disease prevention. The programme ‘Innovative Cancer Diagnostics & Therapy’ aims at studying, developing and improving novel therapeutic approaches for personalized cancer treatment, and the programme ‘Basic and Translational Cancer Biology’ aims at unravelling basic (epi)genetic and cellular mechanisms that underlie carcinogenesis with the aim to develop and implement innovative diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. In 2023 there were 850 papers in peer reviewed international journals and 49 PhD theses.
Education
An important aim within GROW is the training of master- and PhD students in these fields of modern medicine and molecular life sciences. Therefore, GROW annually organises master classes, symposia and other events for these master and PhD students, postdocs and senior staff to update their skills and competences, to broaden their academic view, and to increase awareness with respect to research ethics and integrity.