Breast cancer in Belgium
Breast cancer is the most common cancer amongst women. Below, we list some striking statistics about the disease:
- 250,000 women in Belgium are currently fighting breast cancer or had the disease in their life.
- 11,000 new patients are diagnosed each year.
- That means 30 new diagnoses a day.
- 1 in 8 women are affected by breast cancer in Belgium.
- Men can also get breast cancer: about 100 men living in Belgium get the disease each year.
What is Pink Ribbon?
Prevention:
Did you know that 1 in 3 cancer diagnoses can be avoided by adopting a healthier and more balanced lifestyle? If you exercise for at least 30 minutes every day, control your weight and avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs, you are already well on track. Pink Ribbon feels it is important to inform the general public and raise awareness about this issue.
Detection:
Did you know that when diagnosed early, 9 out of 10 breast cancer patients will still be alive after 5 years and the majority will have overcome the disease? It is a hopeful fact, but one that is not sufficiently known.
The sooner you detect breast cancer, the less invasive the treatment will be and the greater the chance of being cured.
Psychosocial care:
Did you know that there is still a lot of room for improvement in terms of the right way of communicating with patients and their families? When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, the medical staff will be focusing mainly on the treatment. This is obviously necessary, but not sufficient. Once the diagnosis has been made and patients leave the doctor's surgery, they often feel a great deal of anxiety with many questions about the future. In order to address all these questions, clear and transparent communication is very important.
What does Pink Ribbon do?
The Pink Walk has a dual message. On the one hand, you work on yourself and your health, because a healthy and active lifestyle can prevent 1 in 3 cancer diagnoses. On the other hand, you also raise funds with your steps, which Pink Ribbon can use in the fight against breast cancer. Where does your support go? We like to sum it up for you:
With the Breast Cancer Knowledge Center, directed by Dr. Marleen Finoulst, Pink Ribbon want to provide reliable and accessible health information about breast cancer as there is a lot of disinformation circulating about the disease. Dr. Marleen Finoulst closely monitors all developments on breast cancer and translates these news that are important into understandable language for everyone. She sensitizes men and women to be alert to the alarm signals and answers substantive questions that come in to the non-profit organization. In this she is assisted by Dr. Jan Lamote and Dr. Birgit Carly, both breast cancer surgeons and members of the Pink Ribbon Board of Directors.
2. Give a breast cancer patient a book
In 2023, Pink Ribbon and research firm iVOX conducted a large-scale study of 1,000 Belgians close to a breast cancer patient and gauged their experiences and needs. The impact of breast cancer is great, the study showed once again. According to this large-scale study, Pink Ribbon created the book ‘Omhelzingen’ (‘Embraces’) together with Dr. Marleen Finoulst. In this book, nine loved ones of a breast cancer patient testify about their experiences. These testimonies are each placed in context by an expert, including a a sexologist, an oncologist, a psychotherapist, a child psychologist, a plastic surgeon, a genetic counselor, a nutritionist and even someone who assists men with breast cancer.
In late 2024, Pink Ribbon donated free books to 17 breast clinics across the country. In this way, our book was donated to about 380 patients.
4. Support for local initiatives in walk-in centers and hospitals
With the support of Pink Ribbon, local open houses and hospitals can realize various initiatives. Such as the following projects:
1/ Breast Clinic of the Europe Hospital in Brussels. They offer low-threshold yoga sessions to cancer patients. Indeed, physical exercise helps to better cope with side effects and treatments such as chemo and hormone therapy.
2/ L'Espace bien-être Essentiel is an initiative of the University Hospital of Namur and welcomes (breast) cancer patients who want to re-energize themselves. The center organizes workshops and support activities for (breast) cancer patients, from the moment of diagnosis to one year after treatment. Pink Ribbon specifically funds two projects here: follow-up sessions aimed at returning to work and individual foot reflexology sessions.
3/ La Vie-là, a support home open to all patients treated for (breast) cancer at Clinique Saint-Pierre d'Ottignies. For those undergoing radiotherapy, the treatment is often accompanied by skin redness, pain and irritated scars. Photodynamic therapy, based on a powerful monochromatic light, has a healing effect on skin damaged by successive radiation sessions. To make photodynamic therapy available to even more breast cancer patients in the region, La Vie-là purchased the MedisolLED lamp for this purpose with financial support from the Pink Ribbon Fund. Thanks to Pink Ribbon, the sessions are free for patients.
5. Attention to returning to work after breast cancer
The third Monday of January is traditionally known as Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year. Pink Ribbon is giving this somber day a pink twist and turning it into a true Pink Monday: a day full of hope and support. On this day, Pink Ribbon also wants to draw attention to breast cancer in the workplace and make reintegration to work easier after a breast cancer diagnosis.
The history of Pink Ribbon
Evelyn Lauder, daughter-in-law of Estée Lauder, launched the first Breast Cancer Awareness campaign and created the small Pink Ribbon in 1992, a time when thousands of women were dying of breast cancer but the topic was hardly ever talked about. The Pink Ribbon immediately became the universal symbol for breast health. Convinced of the importance of communication in the fight against this disease, Evelyn Lauder worked tirelessly on the Pink Ribbon campaigns to raise public awareness, inform people about breast cancer and raise funds for scientific breast cancer research. Evelyn Lauder unfortunately passed away in November 2011, but her efforts will live on in the Pink Ribbon.
In Belgium, the non-profit organisation Pink Ribbon is the national organisation that supports the fight against breast cancer with various projects. To finance our projects, we raise funds that are managed by the King Baudouin Foundation. Every donation that is made contributes to our mission.
