In Loving Memory of Florence Duvieusart
1 August 2024
Florence, living with ALK+ lung cancer
09 January 2024
Meet Florence – mother, wife, diplomat by profession. And she loves … life.
Florence Duvieusart is a Belgian diplomat. In 2019, at the age of 48, she was diagnosed with a rare stage IV lung cancer. At our Lung Cancer Working Group launch event on 16 November 2023, Florence, 53, gave a moving account of the arduous journey to diagnosis, the importance of multidisciplinary specialist treatment and the invaluable support of peers, family and friends. She also shared how she found the strength to bounce back.
Words cannot do justice to her deeply personal story.
Florence Duvieusart is co-founder of ALK Positive Belgium, an organisation created by patients and their relatives to support, promote the interests and improve the quality of life of people with ALK+ lung cancer in Belgium. The Belgian initiative is part of the global ALK+ network, which is represented in more than 50 countries. ALK Positive Belgium is a member of All.Can Belgium.
ALK+ lung cancer is a rare type of lung cancer caused by a mutation in the ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) gene. It accounts for about 4% of all lung cancers and mainly affects non-smokers or occasional smokers.
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