De Warmste Week: lighting a flame for people living with invisible illness

Brussels — Anticancer Fund has been selected as one of the charities for De Warmste Week, and this year we’re joining the flame for people who suffer out of sight. With the funds raised, we’ll set up workshops to help people cope with the often hidden consequences of cancer.

People live longer today — including with cancer. More than 350,000 Belgians are living with cancer right now. Yet the disease isn’t always visible.

When treatment ends, those around you may think, “It’s over.” But it isn’t. A cancer diagnosis isn’t a brief storm that quickly passes; its impact can echo for years. Everyone expects you to pick up where you left off — and you want that too — but sometimes it just isn’t possible.

Questions that routine care doesn’t always have time for

At Anticancer Fund, we hear from people who are no longer receiving (intensive) cancer treatment but still struggle with many complaints. These are questions that don’t always find space in standard care, such as:

• How do I manage long-term side effects like nerve damage and fatigue?
• What can I do to reduce my risk of recurrence?
• How can I return to work and other activities?
• Is my cancer hereditary?
• How — and by whom — should I be followed up medically?

Workshops to improve quality of life

With the money raised during De Warmste Week, Anticancer Fund will organise a series of workshops in 2026. These meetings will offer a safe space for people who are invisibly ill during and after cancer to voice their concerns and ask personal questions.

Our physicians will clarify and open up conversations on themes such as long-term and hidden side effects — think fatigue, nerve damage, fertility issues, difficulty concentrating — as well as non-medical concerns like loneliness and anxiety about recurrence.

Together, we’ll look for practical solutions to improve quality of life.

“Cancer doesn’t end with the last treatment. Invisible complaints such as extreme fatigue or nerve damage can affect quality of life for years. It’s our job to support people with science-based information. Thanks to De Warmste Week, we can organise these workshops and have the conversations that are needed."

Gabry Kuijten, Director Patient Information

In practice

• The theme “Cancer and After — Living with Invisible Consequences” and the topics above will be addressed in an interactive way.
• We’ll collaborate with walk-in support centres and patient organisations to host 20 workshops across Flanders, each welcoming around 15 participants.

Anticancer Fund is proud to be part of De Warmste Week and to help light the flame for people who suffer in silence. Together with all projects and actions during De Warmste Week, we’re building a warmer society where everyone is heard — even after treatment ends. More information about when and where the workshops will take place will follow on the Anticancer Fund website. Stay tuned.