Our story
Our story
The Anticancer Fund is an initiative launched by entrepreneur Luc Verelst after being confronted with his sister’s cancer diagnosis. Luc devoted a significant portion of his personal fortune to establishing this 100% non-profit organisation that wields science in the battle against cancer. His only goal? To help patients.
A formative event
In August 2008, Luc Verelst’s sister was diagnosed with endometrium cancer. Her prognosis was poor. Luc embarked on a rational and systematic search for a treatment solution, but encountered overwhelming, complex and often contradictory information – and time was of the essence.
The entire process was frustrating and discouraging, and inspired him to find a way to help others struggling to find scientifically validated information about their diseases and potential treatments.
The quest for a cure
In 2009, Luc founded Reliable Cancer Therapies (RCT), a non-profit organisation with two goals: to share information about reliable cancer treatment methods with the general public, and to investigate new treatment options. Because every cancer patient should be able to access independent, well-documented and comprehensible information about treatment options.
Luc Verelst assigned the task to Lydie Meheus, PhD, who had already obtained 20 years of experience in biopharmaceutical research and development (R&D).
From 2009 to 2013, a team of scientists at the heart of Reliable Cancer Therapies (RCT) dedicated their efforts to identifying ‘the cure for cancer’. The first focal points were alternative cancer treatments offered outside mainstream cancer care.
The Anticancer Fund (ACF), founded in 2013, has the same mission and vision as RCT and continues the quest to find the cure for cancer. Today, Lydie continues to be the managing director.
Reliable Cancer Therapies
Reliable Cancer Therapies (RCT) is a Swiss non-profit association founded in 2009 by Luc Verelst, and funded exclusively with private capital.
In Switzerland, foundations that pursue 'public utility' objectives are exempt from tax. Reliable Cancer Therapies has received an official exemption from the Valais State Tax Office, following verification by the tax authorities. The foundation is also supervised by the ASF, l'Autorité de Surveillance des Fondations Suisse. This means that donations to Reliable Cancer Therapies are entirely dedicated to the fight against cancer.
Reliable Cancer Therapies: 1936 Verbier - Switzerland
In 2013, international research projects and activities on new cancer treatments and on helping patients getting information on treatment options, were transferred to a new Belgian-based research foundation: the Anticancer Fund. Both organisations, Reliable Cancer Therapies and the Anticancer Fund, co-exist and have the same mission, vision, values, and founder.