Childhood Cancer Archives

Cancer Care Preparing your child for treatment or surgery

July 31, 2023 Word for Word Media

Fiona Hardie explains the benefits of breathwork when preparing your child for treatment or surgery.

You can listen to this article below, or by using your favourite podcast player at pod.link/oncologybuddies

Witnessing a child go through illness and surgery is traumatic and heart-breaking. As parents, you feel powerless, helpless and terrified but try hard to remain stoic and brave in front of them. Imagine their sense of overwhelming fear. How often have you heard someone say “Just breathe” when you’re stressed? There is, however, help in the form of the breath, and it can assist not only your precious child but you too….

Childhood Cancer Hepatoblastoma

July 31, 2023 Word for Word Media

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Prof Gita Naidu educates us on hepatoblastoma, a rare childhood cancer of the liver.

You can listen to this article below, or by using your favourite podcast player at pod.link/oncologybuddies

What is hepatoblastoma? Hepatoblastoma is a cancer of the liver in children under three years of age and affects 1-2 million children globally. Symptoms A painful lump in the middle or upper right side of the abdomen. Nausea and vomiting Loss of appetite Yellow-coloured skin or eyes Unexplained weight loss What causes hepatoblastoma? Premature birth Low birth weight Early exposure to hepatitis B Biliary atresia Hemihyperplasia Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome Familial…

Childhood Cancer Karabo Nstiane – Thriving toddler

July 31, 2023 Word for Word Media

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Kegomoditswe Nstiane shares the journey of her daughter, Karabo, who was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma at four months, and how she is now an energetic three-year-old who is thriving.

You can listen to this article below, or by using your favourite podcast player at pod.link/oncologybuddies

Karabo Nstiane (3) lives in Krugersdorp, Gauteng with her parents, Kegomoditswe Nstiane and Herbert Matlhole, and her older brother, Koketso. Swollen tummy When Karabo was four months old, her mother, Kegomoditswe, noticed her tummy was swollen. “I thought it was from the formula I was giving her as I was mix-feeding her with breast milk and formula. I took her to the…

Childhood Cancer Childhood leukaemia – Frequently Asked Questions

July 29, 2022 Word for Word Media

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Rainbows and Smiles, an NGO that is dedicated to supporting children with cancer, shares the frequently asked questions when a child is diagnosed with leukaemia. What is childhood leukaemia? Leukaemia or blood cancer occurs when there is an overgrowth of abnormal white cells. These leukaemia cells grow to the point that they eventually consume and destroy the normal bone marrow. Eventually these cells spill out into the blood where they are detected. Leukaemia is the most common form of childhood cancer, accounting for almost one out of three cancers. The most common type of leukaemia is acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Why do children get leukaemia? The exact cause of…

Childhood Cancer Top cancers in adolescents

July 29, 2022 Word for Word Media

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Prof Gita Naidu describes the most common cancers found in adolescents. The incidence of cancer is rising among adolescents; the cause of the increase is unknown. Annually approximately 5000-6000 adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year in the US, with 500-600 adolescent deaths. Cancer SEER data revealed an increase of 0.67% for males and 0.62% for females during the period 1975 through 2012, resulting in more than a 25% increase over 38 years. Cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in adolescents. This data is lacking in SA. According to the SEER Cancer Statistics Review, during 2008 and…

Childhood Cancer Paediatric stem cell transplantation challenges in South Africa

March 28, 2022 Word for Word Media

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Professor Gita Naidu explains the various challenges that are faced in paediatric stem cell transplantation. Stem cell therapy has become a very promising and advanced scientific research topic. Multi-potent haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the most popular stem cell therapy and is used to eliminate blood diseases that infiltrate the bone marrow, such as leukaemia, or to correct congenital immunodeficiency disorders and metabolic defects. Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is also used to enable cancer patients to receive higher doses of chemotherapy than the bone marrow is normally able to tolerate. Two types of stem cell transplantation Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) uses human leucocyte…

Childhood Cancer Sweet Zino

August 2, 2021 Word for Word Media

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Zino Nyangule is the sweetest and most inspirational 14-year-old cancer survivor. Despite being blind, her take on life is extraordinary. Zino Nyangule (14) lives with her parents, Zuzeka and Advisor, in Far East Bank, Gauteng. She has four older siblings, two brothers and two sisters. Germline mutation When Zino was around eight months old, her mother, Zuzeka, noticed that when she shook a toy on the left side of Zino, Zino would follow it with her eyes but when she shook it on the right side, Zino didn’t. “There was also something on her right eye; at night, it would shine…

Childhood Cancer COVID-19 and childhood cancer

May 27, 2021 Word for Word Media

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Prof Gita Naidu informs us of what is known about COVID-19 and childhood cancer treatment. Understanding coronavirus SARS-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a new strain of coronavirus first identified, in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause common colds, as well as more serious respiratory diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). How is the virus spread? The coronavirus is spread by those who are infected when they cough, sneeze, talk, raise their voices (shouting or singing), or even by breathing. Droplets which have the virus fall on people in…

Childhood Cancer The miracle of Khaya

November 30, 2020 Word for Word Media

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Judith Mgobhozi shares the incredible story of of her son, Khayalethu,who was given 48 hours to live when he was diagnosed with leukaemia at three months. Today Khaya is a strong and upbeat six-year-old. Khayalethu Makhaye (6) lives in, Umkomaas, Kwa-Zulu Natal with his mother, Judith, and his baby sister, Ziyana. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia Khaya was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at three months in June 2014. His temperature was high and he was vomiting and had diarrhoea so I took him to a private hospital where he was admitted. The paediatrician took blood; when he returned, he told me he was…

Childhood Cancer Courtney Sole Being a sibling of a cancer patient

September 29, 2020 Word for Word Media

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Courtney Sole Being a sibling of a cancer patient Courtney Sole (13) speaks about the reality of being a sibling of a cancer patient. Being a sibling isn’t easy, especially if your sister or brother had or has cancer. My brother, Josh, had cancer and l remember exactly how l felt. Sometimes it’s fine and you are okay. But other times you are not. The day my parents told me Josh had cancer, l didn’t know what to think. l was very scared and worried that something would happen to him. All l wanted to do was protect him and…

Childhood Cancer Warrior Josh

September 29, 2020 Word for Word Media

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Warrior Josh Twelve operations, over 100 days in hospital, 14 months of chemotherapy and 60 days of radiation, Warrior Josh comes out stronger and braver as ever. Joshua Sole (11) lives in Randpark Ridge, Gauteng with his parents, Mike and Lara, and his older sister, Courtney (13). Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma It was Lara’s intuition and maternal instinct that noticed something was wrong with Josh. “He had played two hours of rugby and that night I noticed he went to the bathroom three times. This wasn’t normal for him. I took him to the homeopath the next day, thinking it could be…

Childhood Cancer Childhood cancer in South Africa

September 29, 2020 Word for Word Media

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Childhood cancer in South Africa Prof Gita Naidu, Head of the Paediatric Oncology Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, sheds light on the current standing of childhood cancer in SA. Childhood is a time of innocence and joy. Yet, unfortunately, every year more than 250 000 children and adolescents younger than 20 are diagnosed with childhood cancer globally. According to estimates by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), almost 100 000 deaths occur annually in children and adolescents; 90% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Eighty percent of young cancer patients diagnosed in…