November 26, 2021 Word for Word Media
A biopsy is the procedure of when a tissue sample or cells are taken from your body to determine whether they are cancerous or not. There are various ways of doing a biopsy and this will depend on where the tumour or area of concern is located. Biopsies are obtained in the least invasive way possible. Particularly if you need to have a breast biopsy, it should be radiologically-guided and done by a radiologist at mammography centres or outpatient radiology departments. A radiologically-guided core needle biopsy is gold standard and less invasive. Radiologically-guided biopsies can also be done for tumours…

November 26, 2021 Word for Word Media
Cancer screening tests are all about detecting cancers early before they grow, spread and become symptomatic. Early detection is vital as this often allows for curative treatment and a good prognosis. Some tests are routine, such as a Pap smear test as part of your regular gynae check-up. While others are done as a general precaution at certain ages, and if you have a high-risk for cancer, for example a strong family history, your doctor will advise when to screen and how often. You need to understand your risks of developing a certain cancer, and the pros and cons of…

November 26, 2021 Word for Word Media
Cancer treatments can cause hormonal balances and functional changes to reproductive organs, such as ovarian function and abnormal semen parameters. Thus, infertility is a risk. It’s for this reason, that if you’re of child- bearing age or still in the process of starting or completing your family that you consult a reproductive medicine specialist before starting cancer treatment. Fertility preservation in childhood cancer patients is especially important and also needs to be discussed. Once diagnosed, your oncologist should discuss the risk of infertility caused by your treatment and if you would like to opt for fertility preservation. If you do,…

November 26, 2021 Word for Word Media
Diagnosis What type of cancer do I have? Can I have a copy of my histology? Can you explain the report to me? Is it an aggressive or indolent type of cancer? Where did it start? And has it spread to other parts of my body? How do you check if it has spread? Which scans do I need? Is my treatment curative (can it be removed completely) or is it palliative (not curable but can it be controlled or prevented from spreading further)? If it’s curative, what is the risk of it coming back? What is my prognosis?…

November 26, 2021 Word for Word Media
Your doctor may say you have a strong family history of cancer, comment that your cancer may be genetic and/or refer you to a genetic counsellor for testing of inherited cancer genes. You leave the rooms bewildered and uncertain as to what this means for you. Context may help. The cause of most cancers is sporadic (interplay of environmental and genetic factors). For 5-10% of individuals, the underlying cancer diagnosis or risk is due to an inherited genetic predisposition. Our genes code information needed by our bodies to make substances that make us look and function as we do. Some…