Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer that has the potential to spread to other parts of the body. Common warning signs of melanoma are a skin sore that doesn’t heal or a change in the colour, shape, texture, or surface of a mole.  Diagnosis Diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy of the skin lesion. In some instances when the melanoma has already spread, such as to a lymph node, a biopsy of the lymph node may be necessary.   Once the melanoma diagnosis is confirmed, molecular testing maybe appropriate in certain cases to see if the melanoma contains mutations (cancer gene changes), such as…

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a term for all the types of lymphoma that are not Hodgkin lymphoma, as such it includes a wide array of different cancers which can be high-grade or low-grade and have a wide variety of presentations and severities. Generally, NHL is more common in men compared to women although the reason for this is unknown. Diagnosis What all types of NHL have in common is that they come from cancerous lymphocytes (immune cells that are supposed to protect the body from both infection and cancer). They circulate in the lymphatic system which is a series of…

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide and the third common cancer in South African men.  Risk factors The biggest risk factor is smoking, and most lung cancer deaths are related to this. The longer and more you smoke, the higher your risk. It’s also advisable to stop smoking when you start treatment. Some other risk factors are work, environmental exposure and family history. Lung cancer unfortunately can’t always be prevented. There are lung cancer subtypes associated with patients who have never smoked before or only have a light smoking history. These are usually cancers that have a specific mutation….

In SA, the most recent National Cancer Registry (NCR) data from 2019 shows 2 338 new cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed in males accounting for 5,63% of all cancer cases.  Most colorectal cancers arise from adenomatous polyps. These polyps are made of excess numbers of both normal and abnormal appearing cells in the glands covering the inner wall of the colon. Over time, these abnormal growths enlarge and ultimately degenerate to become adenocarcinomas. Screening and symptoms Symptoms may not be present when you are diagnosed or be minimal and overlooked until they become more severe. Colorectal cancer screening is therefore important to encourage,…

The prostate is a gland which lies just below the bladder, in front of the rectum, and wraps around the urethra. Its function is to produce semen.  Prostate cancer begins when prostate cancer cells start to divide and grow in an uncontrolled fashion first within the prostate and if left untreated, potentially spreading to other organs and parts of the body. The chances of getting prostate cancer increase with age, and although it’s a very common cancer, it’s treatable, and has high cure rates, especially when detected early. Diagnosis Many men who are found to have prostate cancer don’t present…