Sterling Work in Breast Cancer Research

12 February 2007

Fred Kubli Honorary Award donated by the University of Heidelberg Women's Hospital — First recipient Professor Dr. Manfred Kaufmann

The new Fred Kubli Honorary Award is conferred on its recipients for outstanding achievements in breast cancer research and treatment. On 9 February 2007 the executive director of the University of Heidelberg Women's Hospital, Professor Dr. Christof Sohn, presented the prize for the first time. The recipient is Professor Dr. Manfred Kaufmann, director of the University of Frankfurt Women's Hospital. The award is endowed with 5,000 euros and the presentation took place during the first Heidelberg Oncology Congress.

The name of the award commemorates the outstanding work done in this sector by Professor Dr. Fred Kubli, director of the University of Heidelberg Women's Hospital from 1972 to 1987. Kubli was one of the pioneers in interdisciplinary breast cancer research, diagnostics and therapy. It is largely thanks to his efforts that the breast-conserving approach to operations performed in this sector has established itself so firmly. The prize is donated by the University Women's Hospital under the directorship of Professor Dr. Christof Sohn. It is to be awarded every two years to an outstanding personality in the relevant field with a record of major research achievement on mammary carcinomas in the tradition established by Kubli.

Commitment to public enlightenment and psychosocial care

This year's recipient, a former pupil of Professor Kubli's, was congratulated by Dr. Karin Kubli, Fred Kubli's widow, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine; Professor Dr. Claus Bartram, and the medical director of the University of Heidelberg Women's Hospital, Professor Dr. Eike Martin.

Professor Dr. Manfred Kaufmann studied in Heidelberg, where he also did his doctorate, subsequently joining the staff of the University Women's Hospital as senior consultant. He has been selected for the Honorary Award in honour of his commitment to interdisciplinary, all-round care for breast cancer patients. In charge of the Frankfurt University Gynaecological and Obstetric Hospital since 1995, he has greatly furthered public enlightenment on breast cancer and psychosocial care for breast cancer patients and their relatives as chairman of the "Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign" and the "Butterfly" project. He was also a key figure in the development of the European Society of Mastology (EUSOMA) guidelines for certified breast treatment centres.

The presentation of the award in the context of the first Heidelberg Oncology Congress took place at the Communication Centre of the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ). The national congress on the subject of "Gynaecology and Senology" was jointly organised by the University Women's Hospital, the Heidelberg National Centre for Tumour Disorders (NCT) and the German Cancer Research Centre. Over 300 specialists from all over Germany attended the event, where they were provided with information on the latest approaches to prevention, diagnosis and therapy in connection with different kinds of cancer affecting women.

Contact
Professor Dr. Christof Sohn
executive director
University Women's Hospital Heidelberg
phone: 06221/567901
e-mail: christof.sohn@med.uni-heidelberg.de

Inquiries from journalists should be addressed to
Dr. Annette Tuffs
Press and Public Relations Officer
Heidelberg University Hospital
Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg
Im Neuenheimer Feld 672
phone: 06221/564536
fax: 06221/564544
mobile: 0170/5724725
e-mail : Annette_Tuffs@med.uni-heidelberg.de
www.klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de

Dr. Michael Schwarz
Press Officer of the University of Heidelberg
phone: 06221/542310, fax: 54317
michael.schwarz@rektorat.uni-heidelberg.de
http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/presse/index.html