When your life is turned upside down by cancer, you need reliable information and people who understand. Kanker.nl's original platform could no longer deliver on that promise: outdated technology, fragmented logins and limited mobile access stood in the way. Together, we rebuilt the entire healthcare community platform in Drupal, creating a space where 40,000+ participants share experiences, find validated information and connect with experts. The result? A trusted platform that won two golden Lovie Awards.
Complete platform rebuild in Drupal for privacy and scalability
Peer support community connecting 40,000+ active participants
Digital accessibility: inclusive design for all users
Content migration and integration with third-party systems
Award-winning user experience for patients, editors and moderators
The challenge
How do you transform an outdated patient community into a future-proof healthcare platform where sharing experiences and finding information is effortless?
The solution
A complete rebuild in Drupal: privacy-first architecture, inclusive design and a user-friendly back-end that empowers both the community and content teams.
Kanker.nl x iO: building a trusted space for peer support
Kanker.nl is the central online platform in the Netherlands for everyone confronted with cancer: patients, former patients and their loved ones. It was founded by KWF (Dutch Cancer Society), NFK and IKNL.
Our partnership goes beyond a single rebuild. From design to development, content migration to integration, we worked side by side with the kanker.nl team in agile sprints. Together, we created a platform that truly delivers on its brand promise: "we are there for you."
The challenge: when technology gets in the way of support
Kanker.nl was originally launched in 2013. Over time, the platform's limitations became painfully clear. The custom-built framework was outdated. Users needed separate logins for different functions. The front-end wasn't optimised for mobile. And moderators struggled with practical issues around community management and content moderation.
When cancer is a daily struggle, sharing experiences and knowledge shouldn't be another challenge. Kanker.nl needed more than a facelift. It needed a complete rebuild.
Why Drupal? Privacy-first architecture for sensitive healthcare data
Privacy is non-negotiable for a patient community. We chose Drupal as the open-source CMS because of its robust security track record. Drupal has dedicated processes for addressing vulnerabilities and a large, active community that signals and fixes issues quickly.
This technical foundation ensures that sensitive information stays protected, while giving the kanker.nl team the flexibility to evolve the platform over time.
Inclusive design: a platform that's truly there for everyone
We designed a clean, quiet interface with extra attention to digital accessibility. Font sizes, line spacing and navigation were optimised for readability. The goal: everyone should feel at home on kanker.nl, regardless of ability or device.
This inclusive approach extends to the back-end. Content editors and moderators now have a user-friendly system that makes community management intuitive rather than frustrating.
How peer support and validated information work together
The power of kanker.nl lies in the combination of its information library and its community. Visitors can find medically validated, reliable information about cancer types, treatments and consequences. At the same time, they can connect with fellow patients in 48 discussion groups, read blogs from 1,800+ community members, or ask experts questions via mail, phone or chat.
This dual approach, peer support alongside professional information, is what makes the platform a genuine lifeline.
Agile collaboration: building with the people who use it
We worked in two-weekly sprints with demos and user tests throughout. The kanker.nl team could check functionalities quickly and provide instant feedback. This ensured the front-end worked for the community and the back-end worked for editors and moderators.
The result is a platform shaped by the people who depend on it.
We have grown as an organisation, with the knowledge and expertise of the specialists at iO. Our collaboration means we can use our resources more effectively.
The numbers
1
monthly visitors to kanker.nl
1+
active participants in the community
1+
bloggers sharing their experiences
1
new blogs published each month
1
discussion groups for peer support
1
golden Lovie Awards
A healthcare community platform built on trust
The rebuilt kanker.nl is more than a website. It's a trusted space where people affected by cancer find information, share experiences and support each other. For the kanker.nl team, the new Drupal platform means less technical frustration and more focus on their mission: being there for everyone confronted with cancer.
The recognition speaks for itself. Kanker.nl won two golden Lovie Awards and a golden Dutch Interactive Award. The jury noted: "The care with which they handle their community is tremendous. If you're talking about a community, this is the best example."
