October 11, 2022 Word for Word Media

We learn more about the free CANSA Pain Manager App, brought to you by The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), in association with the Centre of Community Technology at Nelson Mandela University (CCT), sponsored by Pfizer.

NMU Pfizer CANSA Pain app
CANSA Logo 2018
Unfortunately, unnecessary pain is often experienced by patients during their cancer journey. Through the app, CANSA aims to help close the care gap for patients and caregivers with information to cope better with challenges linked to pain, lower stress levels, and help them take charge of their lives while facing cancer.  COVID-19…

October 1, 2022 Word for Word Media
Dr Ria David details why follow-up care after cancer treatment is of utmost importance. The term cancer survivor refers to any person who has been diagnosed with cancer. Survivorship encompasses the period from diagnosis, through active treatment, chronic or intermittent disease to cure or end-of-life care.  In the period following active treatment of a cancer, follow-up and regular monitoring is important to detect several complications: Disease recurrence. Development of short- and long-term physical complications of the previous cancer and its treatment. For example, lymphoedema, cardiovascular disease, chronic fatigue and sexual dysfunction. Detection of other chronic illnesses in an aging population. Surveillance for psychological effects…

July 29, 2022 Word for Word Media
Avril de Beer shares tips for both parent and child for managing school or university during treatment. Teenagers and young adults have left childhood behind, but they are not fully matured adults. At this stage of their lives, they are striving for autonomy from their parents while making plans for their future. Being diagnosed with cancer is an overwhelming experience; it may feel as if your entire world has been turned upside down. Continuing with schoolwork or university studies can help keep a sense of normalcy during this gruelling time. Taking action: obtaining a treatment plan First things first, discuss your teenager or young adult’s diagnosis and treatment plan with the treating physician who will be able to provide you…

June 1, 2022 Word for Word Media

We learn more about how the CANSA Help Desk works and the people who run it.  About the CANSA Help Desk Approximately 12 000 queries per year are received across all CANSA platforms. The Help Desk function covers emails received, comments on the website, queries via national and regional Facebook pages and via their three Facebook Support Groups (for patients, caregivers and parents of children with cancer), Twitter and Instagram, and also via their English and Afrikaans WhatsApp line and their African languages WhatsApp line (isiXhosa, isiZulu, siSwati, Sesotho and Setswana).

CANSA Debbie van Wyk
CANSA Help Desk Manager…

June 1, 2022 Word for Word Media
We hear how Reona Naidoo (32) recovered in the comfort of her own home with Discovery Health Medical Scheme’s (DHMS) new Hospital at Home programme. Ever since Reona Naidoo had her spleen and a kidney removed in 2019, she’s been prone to picking up infections and being hospitalised. Luckily, with DHMS new Hospital at Home programme, Reona has this year been able to receive high-quality medical care in the comfort of her own home and avoid extended hospital stays. Hospital at Home offers 24/7 treatment and monitoring (both in-person and virtual) by a dedicated care team. In fact, Reona was one of the first…

May 26, 2022 Word for Word Media

We learn more about The South African Society of Stomates (SASS) and how they are building the community of ostomates (people who’ve had an ostomy, a surgical operation to create an opening in the body for the discharge of body wastes). Who is SASS?  The South African Society of Stomates (SASS) is a non-profit organisation formed by ostomates across Southern Africa to facilitate a holistic approach to ostomy patient care by bridging the gap between the private and public sectors whilst advocating for the rights of fellow ostomates throughout the country.  SASS aims to advocate and align the standard of…

March 24, 2022 Word for Word Media
Social worker, Avril de Beer, expands on how language (words and metaphors) can inspire or disempower cancer patients. “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.” “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”  (Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass) Military metaphors like battle or war Many people use words or metaphors to express their own individual experience of a cancer diagnosis and treatment. According to Dr Michelle Riba, director of the PsychOncology Program at…

October 1, 2021 Word for Word Media
Dr Prinitha Pillay suggests necessary tools to help reframe the new reality that allows cancer patients to live life, not just survive it. Life with cancer is a journey with twists, turns and challenges. Everyone walking this path has a unique experience depending on their type of cancer, diagnosis stage, support network, and outlook on life.  When a disease like cancer threatens us, the will to live becomes a driving force within us. Some harness this force more strongly than others, while others find their path isn’t that easy. Some patients are just trying to get through the day while making the best…

May 27, 2021 Word for Word Media
Dr Nirasha Chiranjan enlightens us on the impact that cancer and cancer treatment has on cancer survivorship. A cancer survivor refers to any person who has been diagnosed with cancer. Survivorship begins at the time of diagnosis and includes the periods of initial treatment with intent to cure, cancer-free survival, chronic or intermittent disease, and end-of-life care.1  There are millions of survivors worldwide. This number is expected to grow due to improvements in cancer screening, increases in life expectancy following definitive cancer treatment and the aging of the population.  For cancer survivors who are no longer on active treatment, healthcare needs…

February 5, 2021 Word for Word Media
Prof Gita Naidu shares evidence that obesity is a significant risk factor for cancer development, cancer progression, and a patient’s response to therapy. In 2016, more than 1,9 billion adults aged 18 years and older were overweight, 39% were males and 40% females. Of these, over 650 million adults were obese, of which 11% were male and 15% female. The worldwide prevalence of obesity nearly tripled between 1975 and 2016.  During the same period, an estimated 41 million children under the age of five years were overweight or obese, and 340 million children and adolescents, aged 5 to 19, were…

February 5, 2021 Word for Word Media
Tamryn Vivian explains the benefits of oncology rehabilitation and why you don’t have to see your side effects as something you must live with.  Cancer survival rates have increased dramatically over the past 50 years because of improved prevention and detection as well as treatment. But surviving cancer is only the first step towards regaining the life that was once lived.  Many people emerge from treatment with unexpected side effects which can be difficult to face after being saved from the cancer itself. Some experience little pain and can get back to their usual life quickly, while others are completely…

November 30, 2020 Word for Word Media
It can be a daunting task to know which products are safer and healthier for you and your family. CANSA’s Seal of Recognition does the work for you, and when you see the mark on a product, you can be sure it’s free from chemicals of concern and meets the strictest standards for your health. Despite the complexities of cancer as a disease, the scientific evidence that a person can greatly lower their risk of developing cancer by lowering their exposure to avoidable risk factors is overwhelming.  By making better lifestyle choices, such as not using tobacco and alcohol,…