Gerhard Kraft Explained

Gerhard Kraft (29 October 1941 – 18 March 2023) was a German physicist, best known for introducing heavy ion cancer therapy in Europe.

He was the founder and director of the Biophysics Department at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt (Germany).^[1] Particle therapy had already been performed in US and Japan using protons, carbon, and other light ions. Gerhard Kraft introduced it in Europe, with two significant innovations: raster scanning and biological treatment planning. Under his direction, 440 patients were treated from 1997 to 2008 at GSI. Therapy now continues at the using the system introduced at GSI.

Biography

Gerhard Kraft was born on 29 October 1941 in Heidelberg. He studied Physics in Heidelberg and Cologne. Kraft got his PhD at the University of Cologne with a study of energy loss of carbon ions in matter.^[2] After a two year fellowship at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (Berkeley, CA, US) under the supervision of Cornelius A. Tobias, he went back to Germany with the idea of using high-energy carbon ions to cure cancer.^[3] Since 1981 he started his work on heavy-ion radiobiology and radiotherapy at GSI, and the treatment room was completed in 1997. The last patient was treated in 2008. Kraft died on 18 March 2023 in Heidelberg.

Awards

Kraft received many awards over his career, some of which are listed below:

• 1993 Honorary professor at the University of Kassel^[4]
• 1999 Erwin Schrödinger Award, Helmholtz Association^{[5] [6]}
• 2000 Otto Hahn Prize of the City of Frankfurt am Main
• 2006 Bacq & Alexander Award, European Radiation Research Society
• 2006 Ulrich Hagen Award, German Society for Radiation Research
• 2008 Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• 2008–2011 Helmholtz Honorary Professor^[7]
• 2009 Ph.D. h.c., University of Giessen^[8]
• 2013 Honorary member of Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group (PTCOG)^[9]
• 2015 Honorary member of (DGMP)^[10]
• 2018–2021 Honorary President of European Radiation Research Society^[11]

Publications

• Book: Bethge . K. . Kraft . G. . Kreisler . P. . Walter . G. . Medical Applications of Nuclear Physics . Springer Science & Business Media . 27 April 2004 . 978-3-540-20805-1.
• Kraft . Gerhard . Radiotherapy with Heavy Ions: Radiobiology, Clinical Indications and Experience at GSI, Darmstadt . Tumori Journal . SAGE Publications . 84 . 2 . 1998 . 0300-8916 . 10.1177/030089169808400217 . 200–204. 9620245 . 25579345 .
• Book: Kraft, Gerhard . Bionik . Tumortherapie mit Ionenstrahlen . 2005 . 409–421 . Springer-Verlag . Berlin/Heidelberg . 3-540-21890-4 . 10.1007/3-540-26948-7_24.
• Amaldi . Ugo . Kraft . Gerhard . Recent applications of Synchrotrons in cancer therapy with Carbon Ions . Europhysics News . EDP Sciences . 36 . 4 . 2005 . 0531-7479 . 10.1051/epn:2005402 . 114–118. 2005ENews..36..114A . free .
• Amaldi . Ugo . Kraft . Gerhard . Radiotherapy with beams of carbon ions . Reports on Progress in Physics . IOP Publishing . 68 . 8 . 11 July 2005 . 0034-4885 . 10.1088/0034-4885/68/8/r04 . 1861–1882. 2005RPPh...68.1861A . 121346829 .
• Eickhoff . Hartmut . Haberer . Thomas . Kraft . Gerhard . Krause . Udo . Richter . Mathias . Steiner . Rudolf . Debus . Jürgen . The GSI Cancer Therapy Project . Strahlentherapie und Onkologie . Springer Science and Business Media LLC . 175 . S2 . 1999 . 0179-7158 . 10.1007/bf03038880 . 21–24. 10394389 . 13870164 .
• Haberer . Th. . Becher . W. . Schardt . D. . Kraft . G. . Magnetic scanning system for heavy ion therapy . Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment . Elsevier BV . 330 . 1–2 . 1993 . 0168-9002 . 10.1016/0168-9002(93)91335-k . 296–305. 1993NIMPA.330..296H .

Further reading

• Web site: Tumortherapie mit schweren Ionen . Internat Solling . 18 July 2019 . de . . 14 July 2023.
• Tumor Therapy @ GSI, Gerhard Kraft Biophysics Dep. GSI Darmstadt, Germany
• Web site: Heilende Strahlen . . 29 December 2010 . de . 14 July 2023.

External links

• Web site: Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group . PTCOG . . 15 July 2023.
• Web site: Biophysik . GSI . 31 May 2011 . de . . 15 July 2023.
• Web site: Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg: Heidelberger Ionenstrahl-Therapiezentrum (HIT) . Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg . 28 January 2019 . de . . 15 July 2023.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Kraft . GSI . 22 March 2023 . de . 14 July 2023.
2. Web site: Trauer in Darmstadt um einen Pionier der Schwerionentherapie . Echo Online . 6 April 2023 . de . 14 July 2023.
3. Durante . Marco . Debus . Jürgen . Heavy Charged Particles: Does Improved Precision and Higher Biological Effectiveness Translate to Better Outcome in Patients? . Seminars in Radiation Oncology . Elsevier BV . 28 . 2 . 2018 . 1053-4296 . 10.1016/j.semradonc.2017.11.004 . 160–167.
4. Web site: Erwin-Schrödinger-Preisträger ist auch GhK-Honorarprofessor . Informationsdienst Wissenschaft – Nachrichten . 12 January 2000 . de . 14 July 2023.
5. Web site: Pionier der Schwerionentherapie verstorben: Trauer um Biophysiker Gerhard Kraft . GSI . 24 March 2023 . de . 14 July 2023.
6. Web site: Erwin-Schrödinger-Preis . Stifterverband . de . 14 July 2023.
7. Mau . Jens . Gerhard Kraft: Der Unnachgiebige . Kma – Klinik Management Aktuell . Georg Thieme Verlag KG . 15 . 6 . 2010 . 1439-3514 . 10.1055/s-0036-1575647 . 70–73 . 98928374 . de.
8. Web site: Ehrendoktorwürde für Verdienste in der Krebsforschung an Prof. Gerhard Kraft . Informationsdienst Wissenschaft – Nachrichten . 12 December 2008 . de . 14 July 2023.
9. https://www.ptcog.ch/archive/steering_committee_docs/ptcog52/PTCOG52_General_Assembly_Report_2013.pdf PTCOG52 General Assembly Report 2013
10. Web site: Press . GSI . 13 November 2015 . 14 July 2023.
11. Web site: EUROPEAN RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY . ERRS Home . 5 November 1959 . de . 14 July 2023.