Know your cancer | oncology buddies your guide to cancer care

Colon Cancer Colon cancer: when is surgery needed and when is chemotherapy needed?

February 10, 2025 Word for Word Media

Dr Daniel Surridge, a colorectal surgeon, explains the cases in which surgery is needed and when chemotherapy is needed in colon cancer treatment.

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

When treating colon cancer, there are two options available: chemotherapy and surgery. Radiotherapy can be used in a few very exceptional cases, but these are rare and need to be considered carefully as the colon is very close to other organs that can be damaged by the radiation. Surgery for colon cancer Surgery can be used…

Cervical Cancer How is cervical cancer diagnosed?

December 1, 2023 Word for Word Media

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Dr Sumayya Ebrahim explains how cervical cancer is diagnosed and what the staging means.

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

What happens when a doctor is consulted? A careful history is taken. After this, an examination is performed. On examination, if the cancer is advanced, the doctor may feel a lump or growth on the cervix. Sometimes this growth can extend into the vagina and the tissues around the vagina, creating thickening and hardening of the tissues. With early cancers, sometimes these aren’t visible to the naked eye…

Know your cancer Stomach cancer

September 29, 2023 Word for Word Media

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Dr Daleen Geldenhuys educates us on stomach cancer and explains why nutritional support is imperative.

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

What is stomach cancer? There are several cancers that can originate in the stomach. These include MALT lymphomas, neuroendocrine tumours, and adenocarcinomas, which will be focused on below. Adenocarcinomas Adenocarcinomas can vary in position in the stomach. It can be a localised ulcer in any part of the stomach or a widespread infiltration in the lining of the stomach, not showing a superficial ulcer, resulting in a…

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…

Colorectal Cancer Colorectal cancer

May 31, 2023 Word for Word Media

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Dr Daleen Geldenhuys gives us an explanatory rundown on colorectal cancer and the treatment thereof.

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

Incidence Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a frequent cancer worldwide and can be prevented by early detection and removal of precancerous lesions. It’s the third most common malignancy and the second most deadly cancer worldwide. There is an estimated 1.9 million incidence cases and 0.9 million deaths worldwide every year. The incidence of CRC is higher in highly developed countries, and it’s increasing in middle- and low-income countries due to westernisation. Moreover,…

Kidney Cancer Kidney cancer

February 8, 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

Dr Daleen Geldenhuys educates us on kidney cancer and the treatment thereof. Kidney cancer, commonly known as renal cell carcinoma (RCC), originates within the renal cortex (outer layer of the kidney as opposed to the urine collecting system), and constitutes 80 to 85% of primary renal tumours. Urothelial carcinomas of the renal collecting system accounts for approximately 8% of kidney tumours, and other tumours, such as oncocytomas, collecting duct tumours, and renal sarcomas, are rare. Nephroblastoma (Wilms tumour) is a primitive tumour common in children…

Know your cancer Synovial sarcoma

July 29, 2022 Word for Word Media

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Dr Daleen Geldenhuys educates us on what synovial sarcoma is, the two types you get, the causes, treatment and prognosis. Synovial sarcoma is a soft tissue tumour. It’s rare overall but more common in certain age groups. About one to three people in a million receive a diagnosis of this disease each year. Synovial sarcoma is one of the most common soft tissue tumours in adolescents and young patients. Approximately one third of cases occur in the first two decades of life. The mean age of patients at diagnosis is approximately 30 years. It’s associated with a history of a small nodule that…

Know your cancer Sarcoma cancer

June 1, 2022 Word for Word Media

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Dr Daleen Geldenhuys describes where sarcoma cancer forms in the body, how it can be treated and the likelihood of progression. Sarcomas are different to carcinomas. They arise from a different layer of tissue that can be best understood by knowing the embryological origin of tissues in the body. The trilaminar or three-layered disc (embryo) develops three weeks after conception. It consists of the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. These layers are arranged on top of each other. The mesoderm will become the cartilage, bone, fascia, smooth or skeletal muscle, blood vessels, lymph vessels and coverings of organs, such as mesothelium….

Know your cancer Treating metastatic cervical cancer

December 2, 2021 Word for Word Media

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Dr Daleen Geldenhuys outlines the common areas that cervical cancer may spread to and how that spread is treated. Cervical cancer is a disease caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) and is the most common cancer affecting South African women. There are more than 100 types of HPV, 14 causing cancer but types 16 and 18 are responsible for 70% of cervical cancers. Cervical cancer is one of the cancers that can cause as much damage spreading locally in the pelvis than when it speads systemically to distant organs (metastases). Your gynaecologist will spend time trying to ascertain if the disease is confined to…

Know your cancer Dissecting metastatic cancer

October 1, 2021 Word for Word Media

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Dr Daleen Geldenhuys helps us understand what metastatic cancer is and how it may respond to treatment. What is metastatic cancer? The word metastatic originates from a Greek word that means: to change. It’s a dreaded word to patients and doctors alike, which indicates that the cancer has left the organ of origin. The cancer is now Stage 4 (IV) and, in most instances, not curable. Some patients present with Stage 4 disease at the time of diagnosis and others may have a recurrence of a cancer that was previously treated. Oligometastases refers to a limited number of metastases…

Know your cancer Current treatment options for advanced lung cancer in SA

May 27, 2021 Word for Word Media

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Dr Sze Wai Chan clears up the complexity of understanding lung cancer and its treatment. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. It’s the second commonest cancer in both sexes. It falls right behind prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. When patients are diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, the prognosis is usually very poor (< 1 year with traditional chemotherapy). However, in the past 10 years, the development of targeted therapy and immunotherapy has changed the survival of these patients drastically. Most lung cancers are caused by smoking (85-90% of patients). However, ‘never smokers’ can develop lung cancer, too. Never…

Know your cancer Multiple myeloma in the spotlight

February 5, 2021 Word for Word Media

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With March being Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month, Dr Philippa Ashmore gives us a rundown on this bone marrow cancer and the increasing treatment options. Multiple myeloma (MM) is a common cancer of bone marrow. It’s most often seen in older adults, with a higher rate in black patients compared to Caucasians. It’s generally a chronic disease with little chance of cure, but with increasing treatment options, the quality and quantity of life for most patients has improved dramatically over the last two decades. How does MM develop? The myeloma cell, or plasma cell, is an immune system cell that becomes cancerous. When this happens, it…