"Tour der Hoffnung": GSI/FAIR participates in charity event for children with cancer

08.08.2022

GSI/FAIR is actively involved in the charity cycling event "Tour der Hoffnung" for the benefit of children suffering from cancer and leukemia. When the nationwide known fundraising event stops at the Bürgermeister-Pohl-Haus in Wixhausen on August 12, 2022 at 3 p.m., representatives of GSI/FAIR and the Association for the Promotion of Tumor Therapy with Heavy Ions will be there. They will inform about cancer therapy with ions and the current state of research, as well as about the activities of the association.

GSI is the birthplace of a new form of cancer treatment. This development was the result of many years of research in conjunction with GSI’s large ion-beam accelerator system. To date, ion-beam radiotherapy has been used to treat more than 440 patients for tumors in the head or neck region. The advantage of this new treatment modality is that the ion beam selectively damages tumor tissues while sparing the surrounding healthy tissues. Further research will focus on applying the new treatment method to other malignant tumors as well. An ion-beam radiotherapy center was constructed at the Heidelberg University Medical Center under the technical direction of GSI. Since its opening in November 2009 patients can be treated in clinical routine operation.

The Association for the Promotion of Tumor Therapy is closely linked to GSI/FAIR and supports activities for the research in the field of tumor therapy with heavy ions by providing nonmaterial and financial support. The major aims are further improvements of the tumor treatment and awarding these in the framework of the Christoph-Schmelzer-Award. The association pursues exclusively and directly charitable purposes.

The "Tour der Hoffnung" is one of the largest, privately organized charity cycling tours, which has raised more than 42 million euros in the past 38 years, the organizers say. They emphasize, "All donations go to the last cent for the benefit of those affected, while the organizational costs are borne by sponsors. This clear separation has been enormously well received nationwide. This is an important reason why every year many celebrities from business, politics, show business and sports put themselves at the service of the good cause."

This year, around 160 participants, including well-known athletes, will be pedaling to raise funds for children with cancer. The 254-kilometer charity bike tour traditionally begins on August 11 with a prologue in and around Giessen and ends on August 13 in Fulda. This year's patron of the tour is once again Petra Behle, Olympic champion and nine-time world champion in biathlon. The captain of the field of riders is Klaus Peter Thaler, a multiple cross-country world champion from Gevelsberg. (BP)

Further information

Ion-beam radiotherapy in the fight against cancer at GSI/FAIR

Association for the Promotion of Tumor Therapy with Heavy Ions

Tour der Hoffnung (in German)



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