Belgian Foundation against Cancer

The Foundation against Cancer, foundation of public utility, is the only national organization who fights cancer in Belgium. The foundation is a result of a merge of three not-for-profit organizations (dating back to 1924): Belgian association against Cancer, Oeuvre Belge du Cancer and the Belgian Federation against Cancer. This merge took place in December 2004. Thanks to the generosity of the people the foundation is able to finance her activities. They receive donations and legacies, corporate sponsoring and collect proceeds from events or campaigns such as 'Together against Cancer'. The raised funds are divided into three roughly equal parts for the following purposes: - Support for medical research, - Health information campaigns and prevention, - Assistance to patients and their relatives. The foundation has large funds to finance scientific cancer research. This covers a number of projects under the responsibility of the major Belgian universities (UCL, KULeuven, RUG, ULg, VUB, ULB, etc). The value of the granted amounts vary between 100 000 and 500 000 ¬. The selected projects involve all major domains of cancer research. (clinical research). The foundation also support very specific research projects like: a cancer register, EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer), FAPA (Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Association), etc. In 2006, the funds spent for scientific research amounted up to 5 654 037 ¬. Health information campaigns and prevention The fight against cancer is easier to fight when people are made conscious at a young age. Nicotine-addiction, bad eating habits and to much exposure to uv-radiation for example, are factors that can significantly increase the risks of developing cancer. This is why the foundation assigns a large sum of its budget to informing the public about these risks. Moreover, the foundation also tries to palliate the lack of coordination in the public service campaigns which are often too scattered. All the information is accessible to everyone through many publications, a website (www.cancer.be), a helpline (Tabac Stop 0800/111 00), symposia and conferences. Assistance to patients and their relatives: to improve the well-being of the patients and their relatives, the foundation offers multiple services: help with transportation, psychological aid, help of beauty specialists, financial and administrative support, a free helpline (Cancerphone 0800/15 801), etc. Regional supervisors coordinate the work of many devoted and trained volunteers who insure the local activities of the foundation.