Deutsche ILCO

Deutsche ILCO e. V. is the German self-help association for people living with a stoma — an artificial bowel outlet (colostomy or ileostomy) or an artificial urinary diversion (urostomy) — as well as for people affected by colorectal cancer and their relatives. The name ILCO is formed from the initial letters of Ileum (small intestine) and Colon (large intestine), and the ILCO designation is widely used by national stoma self-help associations across Europe, such as ILCO Serbia, Latvia-ILCO and SlovILCO. The organisation describes itself as a nationwide non-profit self-help body whose members are themselves affected, working on an honorary basis to provide help for self-help to all those concerned in Germany, irrespective of ideology, nationality or culture. The association's mission is to support people in coping with illness and everyday life and to show that an independent and self-determined life with a stoma or colorectal cancer is worthwhile, with the aim of improving quality of life. It pursues this through conversations with fellow sufferers — by telephone, at meetings of roughly 290 local groups and through the ILCO visiting service, in which ILCO volunteers visit patients in hospital before and after surgery and at home. It also provides information at local, regional and national events and through publications on colostomy, ileostomy, urostomy and irrigation, and through its quarterly members' magazine ILCO-PRAXIS. The association arranges specialist counselling and acts as an independent advocate for stoma- and colorectal-cancer-related concerns with health insurers, supply offices and in health and social policy, covering medicine, rehabilitation, medication and stoma supplies, social assistance and self-help. It works to break down the taboos surrounding stomas and colorectal cancer through education and public relations, and campaigns for high-quality, quality-assured professional care and for the necessary stoma articles and medicines to be available without unreasonable financial burden. There are also separate meetings and events for younger affected people in the group "Junge ILCO +/- 35". According to the association's own figures, it had a total of 6,748 members as of 1 January 2020, of whom 5,540 were themselves affected, 507 were relatives of those affected and 621 were supporting members. Since 2005, colorectal cancer has officially been included within ILCO's own remit. In Germany there are estimated to be around 150,000 stoma wearers, and 60,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year. The Deutsche ILCO is supported by the Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer Aid) and is a member of networks and umbrella organisations including the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Selbsthilfe, the Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (DPWV), the International Ostomy Association (IOA), the Netzwerk gegen Darmkrebs, the Deutscher Behindertenrat, the Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft and the European Ostomy Association (EOA). It also cooperates on a specialist basis with several professional societies and initiatives, and its sister organisations in the German-speaking area are the Österreichische ILCO and the Schweizerische ILCO.

Deutsche ILCO e. V. is the self-help association of people with a stoma (an artificial bowel outlet or artificial urinary diversion) in Germany. The name ILCO is formed from the initial letters of Ileum (small intestine) and Colon (large intestine). In Europe the ILCO designation is very common among national stoma self-help associations, for example ILCO Serbia, Latvia-ILCO and SlovILCO. Since 2005, colorectal cancer has officially been included within ILCO's own remit. The association's guiding principles (Leitbild) describe its goals and the basic features of its work and provide orientation for its daily activities. The Leitbild was developed across ILCO as a whole and adopted by the Bundesdelegiertenversammlung (federal delegates' assembly) on 27 June 2020. All those who work for ILCO on an honorary or professional basis are called upon to help implement its guiding principles. In Germany there are estimated to be around 150,000 stoma wearers, and 60,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year. Deutsche ILCO has committed itself to standing by all those affected in Germany so that they can act in a self-determined and independent way even with a stoma and with their colorectal cancer. It achieves this through conversations with fellow sufferers about life with a stoma or life with colorectal cancer, conducted by honorary ILCO staff by telephone, at meetings of roughly 290 local groups and within the framework of the ILCO visiting service (visits by ILCO staff before and after surgery in hospital and at home); through information at events (local, regional and supra-regional) and with writings on colostomy/ileostomy, urostomy, irrigation and similar topics, and through the quarterly members' magazine ILCO-PRAXIS; through referral to specialist counselling; through independent advocacy on stoma- and colorectal-cancer-related matters with health insurers, supply offices and in health and social policy for the areas of medicine, rehabilitation, medication and stoma supplies, social assistance and self-help; through breaking down the taboos surrounding stomas and colorectal cancer via education and public relations; and through commitment to high-quality, quality-assured professional care and to ensuring that the necessary stoma articles and medicines are available without unreasonable financial burden. There are also separate meetings and events for younger affected people in the group "Junge ILCO +/- 35". According to the association's membership data, it had a total of 6,748 members, of whom 5,540 were themselves affected, 507 were relatives of those affected and 621 were listed as supporting members (as of 1 January 2020). A breakdown of those affected by type of operation (where stated, as of 2025) lists: colostomy 2,344; ileostomy 1,246; urostomy plus colostomy 25; urostomy 432; colorectal cancer without stoma 145; urological pouch 30; Kock pouch 34; ileoanal pouch 30; other operation 14. Deutsche ILCO is supported by the Deutsche Krebshilfe. It is a member of the following networks and umbrella organisations: Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Selbsthilfe; Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (DPWV) e. V.; International Ostomy Association (IOA); Netzwerk gegen Darmkrebs e. V.; Deutscher Behindertenrat; Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft e. V.; and European Ostomy Association (EOA). It also works on a specialist basis with several professional societies and initiatives, including the Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft, Stiftung LebensBlicke, GRVS Gesellschaft für Rehabilitation bei Verdauungs- und Stoffwechselkrankheiten e. V., FgSKW Fachgesellschaft Stoma, Kontinenz und Wunde e. V., DVSG Deutsche Vereinigung für Soziale Arbeit im Gesundheitswesen e. V., Deutsche Kontinenz Gesellschaft and Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Darmkrebszentren. Its sister organisations in the German-speaking area are the Österreichische ILCO and the Schweizerische ILCO.

• 2020

  ILCO's guiding principles (Leitbild) adopted by the Bundesdelegiertenversammlung on 27 June 2020.

• 2005

  Colorectal cancer officially included within ILCO's own remit.

Nationwide non-profit self-help organisation for people with a stoma and for colorectal cancer patients in Germany, run by those affected for those affected.

1. 1Startseiteilco.de
2. 2Mutmachgeschichtenilco.de
3. 3Leitbild (Wir über uns)ilco.de
4. 4Deutsche ILCOwikidata.org
5. 5Deutsche ILCOde.wikipedia.org