Prevention
Modern medicine is increasingly transitioning towards preventive care. This shift towards prevention has also been observed in breast cancer care in recent years, particularly with the discovery of the BRCA gene. Subsequently, multiple genes and risk factors have been identified. Depending on these factors, a personalized screening strategy can be chosen. Therefore, it is crucial to understand these genetic and risk factors.
Diagnosis
I was diagnosed with cancer ... This website serves as a portal designed to assist you and your loved ones in accessing personal information and finding solutions to your concerns.
The primary goal of this website is to offer guidance and support to patients as they navigate their journey toward recovery and improved quality of life. The "Diagnosis" section of our website is divided into two main categories. Firstly, under "Anatomy and Physiology," we provide fundamental knowledge about the breast. Secondly, in the "Tumors and Disorders" section, we delve deeper into various breast-related conditions.
Moreover, we aim to provide information to women who may be concerned about potential breast issues but are hesitant to seek immediate medical advice. Knowledge and information can often offer immediate reassurance if a woman is able to identify the issue herself and determine that no specific treatment is necessary. Conversely, we also strive to educate women who have received a diagnosis of a serious breast condition, such as breast cancer, and wish to approach their doctor well-informed and prepared.
Treatment
The treatment for breast cancer should immediately include a discussion about reconstruction. Our foundation has no greater goal than to raise awareness of this among patients and oncological surgeons. By making an informed decision beforehand, we avoid closing off options for later reconstruction while still considering the oncological aspect. Of course, survival is paramount, and the decision of the oncologic surgeon will always take precedence.
The "Reconstruction or not?" page contains all the information you can expect during an initial consultation before undergoing tumor removal. This page is comprehensive, and your plastic surgeon will only provide information relevant to your situation.
"Removing the tumor" details the surgical procedure itself. This is the most crucial operation because effective tumor removal remains paramount. We guide you through the various methods of removal, a decision often made by a multidisciplinary team comprising oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, radiotherapists, breast nurses, gynecologists, oncological surgeons, and plastic surgeons.
The "Breast Reconstruction" section includes information and illustrations of the different reconstruction options along with corresponding steps.
Revalidation
Those treated for cancer often need a long period to recover.
Cancer is a radical illness with a heavy treatment. Often, people have to deal with psychosocial and/or physical problems afterwards, such as stress, anxiety, extreme fatigue, painful joints, reduced fitness, lymphedema... This can have a major impact on general well-being.
There are rehabilitation programmes offered by most hospitals. We cover some of the major topics here.
Quality of life
Quality of life is a key factor in coping with breast cancer. Therefore, it is important to find coping mechanisms that work, which will be different from patient to patient. For some, it may be finding enjoyment in activities they engaged in prior to diagnosis, taking time for appreciating life and expressing gratitude, volunteering, physical exercise... Of prime importance, studies have shown that accepting the disease as a part of one’s life is a key to effective coping, as well as focusing on mental strength to allow the patient to move on with life. In this section we are addressing some topics that patients experience during and after treatment and we are providing information to address them.
How do we invest your donations?
Beautiful After Breast Cancer (BABC) is an international, multidisciplinary organisation, founded in 2011 to support breast cancer patients throughout the whole process, before, during and after the treatments, with the focus mainly on the wellbeing of the patients and their environment.
The (ex) patients among us have experienced how great the impact can be on many levels, medically, psychologically, relationally and aesthetically. Reliable information is then crucial to be able to reorganise your life. More than other organisations, we therefore try to be as close as possible to the patients and their relatives in order to support them concretely with complete, accurate and qualitative information on both medical and emotional aspects related to breast cancer. BABC puts patients in the driver's seat so that they can make informed decisions about their treatment.
This is guaranteed by the cooperation between doctors, care providers, patients and their partners. The ultimate goal is the return to a full and happy life with a positive self-image. In short, from Hope to Happiness.
What do we do?
Our main objective is to:
Provide objective and reliable information on scientific topics and topics related to well-being and wellbeing during and after treatment. We do this through our website and social media, but also through numerous info events and webinars on all kinds of topics.
Support training for surgeons via the Stephen Kroll Fellowship
Consult with legislators, insurers and authorities, for example regarding reimbursement of treatments
Support scientific research, including research into innovative techniques via the Breast Engineering Fund.
Our projects in the spotlight
Infosessions (online webinars and life events), among others:
P4P: guided group discussions Patients for Patients/Partners for Partners, to share their experiences of their journey through the healing process. Regularly, a keynote speaker provides the introduction.
Webinars or evening sessions on specific themes such as hormone therapy, pain and cognitive changes, intimacy, pathology, breast reconstruction, beauty and well-being.
It's a Beautiful Day: an annual information day for (new) patients and all those who support them, about all aspects within the care process 'breast cancer', both medical and emotional aspects, and in cooperation with doctors and professional caregivers and breast clinics.
LymphADay: every year on 6 March, the world's attention is focused on lymphoedema. On that day, we hold a number of information sessions about the treatment of lymphoedema.
Bra-Day: every year in October, the international Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day takes place, a day on which we want to inform patients about all aspects of breast reconstruction, including the current surgical options and their advantages and disadvantages.
Boobie bag: A stylish bag with educational content, samples, tips & tricks, distributed free of charge to patients through the breast clinics.
Cancer conference: an annual conference on the future of cancer treatments, innovation in research, treatments and surgical techniques. Accessible to everyone: patient, partner, care provider, doctor, ... The congress is an initiative of BABC in collaboration with CRIG, Stop Darmkanker and CORE.
BABC Website & News flashes
Stephen Kroll Fellowship: this is a grant worth 5,000 € and three months of further training in the field of reconstructive surgery after breast cancer under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Phillip Blondeel, head of the department of Plastic Surgery at Ghent University Hospital. This scholarship is awarded annually to a promising young surgeon and is made possible by our organisation. The candidates come from all over the world.
Breast Engineering Fund: we support breast cancer-related studies and research projects in the field of prevention, treatment, surgical techniques and tissue engineering. To support research on breast reconstruction and indirectly to improve the well-being and sense of well-being of women affected by ablative surgery after breast cancer, the "Breast Engineering Fund" at Ghent University was created with the financial support of BABC.
Thanks to your support!
All this is made possible thanks to the support of many sponsors, for which we are enormously grateful.
The uniqueness of Beautiful After Breast Cancer is that all employees, in and outside the board, are committed to the wellbeing of breast cancer patients unpaid and from the heart. But in order to achieve our goals, we need to have the necessary funds at our disposal, especially since we do not have any subsidies. To this end, our fundraising campaigns are a not insignificant part. We do this through our annual cultural activities, among other things. Of course, donations are also an important part of our income. Your financial support is therefore very welcome.