Head and Neck Cancer Archives

Head and Neck Cancer Tongue reconstruction

April 1, 2026 Word for Word Media

Dr Dimitri Liakos explains the surgical options for tongue reconstruction.

The tongue plays an essential role in everyday life. This highly mobile muscle in the mouth allows you to speak, chew, and swallow your food; important functions of everyday life. But the tongue has so many more intricate functions. It allows you to taste your food, whether sweet or sour. It allows propulsion of food down the throat at the same time as it blocks the airways to prevent aspiration. Anatomically it’s made up of highly-specialised muscles and taste buds, making the anterior surface of the tongue feel somewhat…

Head and Neck Cancer Briony Alexander – Living with the after-effects

December 1, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Although Briony Alexander has been in remission for 29 years from nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), it’s still an ongoing challenge as she lives with the after-effects of the cancer treatment every day.

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

What is NPC? Nasopharyngeal cancer is a rare head and neck cancer. The nasopharynx is the top part of the throat behind the nose. The type of cells from which cancer can develop in this area are surface lining cells causing squamous cell carcinoma. There seems to be a bimodal age distribution for…

Head and Neck Cancer What is nasopharyngeal cancer?

September 30, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Dr Mark Torres-Holmes educates us on nasopharyngeal cancer, a rare head and neck cancer.

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

The nasopharynx is the top part of the throat behind the nose and though rare in SA, cancers can originate there. The type of cells from which cancer can develop in this area are surface lining cells (squamous epithelium) causing squamous cell carcinoma. There are many risk factors including smoking; the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV); having ancestry in South East Asia, North Africa, or the Arctic; having a family…

Head and Neck Cancer George Eliades – My hope came from my wife

April 1, 2024 Word for Word Media

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George Eliades shares how the taste of his favourite treat led to a diagnosis of tongue cancer and how his wife’s support gave him hope throughout treatment.

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

George Eliades (52) lives in Parys, Free State with his wife, Wilna. They have two daughters. George loved eating chocolate every night before bed until, in October 2022, the chocolate burnt his tongue. He thought it was weird so went to a dentist. It was treated as an ulcer with salt water and an oral…

Head and Neck Cancer How is tongue cancer diagnosed?

April 1, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Dr Mark Torres-Holmes, a head and neck surgeon and ENT, details how tongue cancer develops and the method of diagnosis.

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

There are so many parts of the body that you realise are important only when there is a problem and the tongue is no different. Imagine how getting tongue cancer would affect you? The tongue performs incredibly complex movements to speak, chew and swallow but when there is a tumour, you come to realise how a decrease in these functions would impact…

Head and Neck Cancer Treatment for tongue cancer

April 1, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Dr Mark Torres-Holmes details the treatment decision-making process and the likely phases of treatment.

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

The best treatment decisions are made involving the patient with a multi-disciplinary team which includes the head and neck surgeon, radiation oncologist, medical oncologist, radiologist, pathologist, dental team, speech and swallow therapist, dietitian, physician, anaesthesiologist and plastic reconstructive surgeon. Patients and their cancer are discussed at a weekly meeting and the best plan for the patient is decided upon. This plan is presented to patients and another discussion…

Head and Neck Cancer Building a larynx cancer survivor community

April 1, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Wasifah Noorbhai, speech-language therapist and audiologist at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH), tells the story of how a larynx cancer survivor community was built.

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

Head and neck cancer, including laryngeal cancer, presents a significant health challenge in SA, with rising incidence rates. For those who undergo a total laryngectomy, a life-saving surgical procedure, the journey to recovery is multi-faceted. While the removal of the larynx (voice box) restores health, it also brings profound changes to voice and swallowing functions, impacting not…

Head and Neck Cancer Jocelyn Moodley – My miracle surgery

March 31, 2023 Word for Word Media

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Jocelyn Moodley tells us about her miracle surgery after being diagnosed with salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma and how living was far more important than her facial appearance.

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

Jocelyn Moodley (50) lives in Alberton, Gauteng with her husband. They have three adult children. Bump on palate In November 2005, Jocelyn felt a slight bump on her palate. When she went to a GP, he couldn’t see it, so he referred her to a dentist as he thought it was overgrowth of wisdom teeth….

Head and Neck Cancer Salivary gland cancer

March 31, 2023 Word for Word Media

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

ENT surgeon, Dr Mark Torres-Holmes, expands on salivary gland cancer and why a skilled surgeon is imperative to avoid nerve damage. Function of salivary glands We have both major and minor salivary glands secreting saliva into the mouth. The minor salivary glands are many, about 8000, and are single salivary units which open directly into the mouth, mostly situated on the inside lips, cheeks, hard and soft palates. We call the major ones major because they are both bigger than the minor ones…

Frequently Asked Questions Head and neck cancer – Frequently asked questions

March 24, 2022 Word for Word Media

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Cancer Heroes, a support group for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients and their families, inform us of the common questions that are asked by patients. What is HNC? HNC is a grouping of regional cancer incidents collectively known as head and neck cancer. They most commonly start with abnormal and uncontrolled growth of the squamous cells that line the mucosal surfaces of the head and neck area, like your mouth, throat, and voice box. They can also start in the salivary or parotid glands, sinus cavities, muscles, nerves and jaws in the head and neck region. It’s interesting that brain cancer isn’t regarded…

Head and Neck Cancer Swallowing in head and neck cancer

March 29, 2021 Word for Word Media

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Dr Mark Torres-Holmes expands on swallowing difficulties in head and neck cancer and when the use of feeding tubes is required. Swallowing (deglutition) is a complex sequence of events, that when it goes wrong can cause significant morbidity (suffering). Cancer in sites like the mouth, pharynx (throat) and larynx (voice box) can result in difficulty swallowing. The treatments for head and neck cancer often involve surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, or combinations thereof, and any of these treatments can also cause difficulty swallowing. Swallowing basics Swallowing is divided into four stages: oral preparatory, oral transfer, pharyngeal and oesophageal phases that…

Head and Neck Cancer The bunkers of head and neck cancer

March 29, 2021 Word for Word Media

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Professional golfer, Robert Tilbury, shares the many battles and ongoing victories head and neck cancer brought him. Robert Tilbury (52) lives in Kempton Park, Gauteng. He has two daughters, Melissa and Dominique, and a grandson, Milan. Diagnosis In 2014, a lump starting to form under Rob’s jawline. After a doctor’s visit, he was put on antibiotics as the GP thought it could be glandular fever. However, the lump was still there and had gotten bigger after the course was completed. This is when Rob opted to go for a biopsy. “In November 2014, the biopsy diagnosed metastasised Stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma of the…