December 2, 2024 Word for Word Media
Kathryn Wright was diagnosed with three primary cancers at once: two different breast cancers and lung cancer. She shares what she calls a surreal dream. Kathryn Wright (69) lives in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). She is a recent widow and has three children and six grandchildren. Early in 2017, at the age of 62, Kathryn noticed a change in the shape of her left breast. She had a mammogram done in Nelspruit, South Africa which showed a small lesion. A biopsy was done, and she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was referred to a breast specialist based in…

September 30, 2024 Word for Word Media

Dr Thobile Goba-Mjwara describes the diagnostic journey of lung cancer and how new treatments and biomarker tests are leading the way to hope.

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

Lung cancer is the most common cancer and leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, accounting for over two million new cases from 2013 to 2019. More than two thirds of lung cancer patients are diagnosed at a late stage. Even with treatment, five-year survival rates are lowest.  In SA, lung cancer ranks as the number one cause of cancer deaths. It’s estimated…

July 31, 2023 Word for Word Media

 The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) shares the most common questions that are asked regarding lung cancer.

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

What is lung cancer? Cancer that starts in the lungs; it may spread to lymph nodes or other organs in the body, such as the brain. Cancer from other organs also may spread to the lungs. Lung cancers usually are grouped into two main types: small cell and non-small cell (including adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma). These two types grow differently and are treated differently. Non-small…

November 28, 2022 Word for Word Media
Mother of two, Rene Abdullah, tells us how she handled the loss of her career as a personal trainer after being diagnosed with EGFR positive non-small cell lung cancer. Rene Abdullah (52) lives in Bryanston, Gauteng with her husband and two children. Diagnosis Rene was diagnosed with Stage 2 EGFR positive non-small cell lung cancer in February 2010. “I was in Cape Town on holiday and started having a persistent cough. After two courses of antibiotics, I was still coughing. It was suggested that I have a chest X-ray; a small nodule on the lower lobe of my left lung was found….

October 1, 2022 Word for Word Media
Metastatic lung cancer survivor, Trish Blackburn, tells us why she avoids gloom and doom doctors and how she keeps on pushing on. Trish Blackburn (57) lives in Sandringham, Gauteng with her husband, Chris. They have three adult sons and one grandchild.  In November 2020, Trish experienced pain in the area of her kidneys and had shortness of breath. Since COVID was rife at this time, she went for many COVID tests, but they were negative. When the pain became unbearable, she went to hospital and was admitted.  After a scan, a lung biopsy was performed. “That biopsy isn’t recommended for sissies,”…

October 1, 2021 Word for Word Media
Having survived COVID while in hospital after being diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, Millicent Mavhungu is grateful to her doctors for saving her life. Millicent Mavhungu (48) lives in Vosloorus, Gauteng with her husband, Doctor, and their three children.  In November 2020, Millicent’s legs were swollen and sore. She went to her GP and he treated her for arthritis, giving her an injection and oral tablets. She started to work again but felt very weak and had shortness of breath. “I thought it was COVID, but the test results came back negative.” A week later, Millicent collapsed at home and was rushed…

July 27, 2021 Word for Word Media

Cancer affects one in four South Africans through diagnosis of family, friends, colleagues or self. In South Africa, lung cancer is the fifth most common cancer in women and the third most common cancer in men.1 Earlier detection of lung cancer is imperative to improve the survival rates of this disease.2

Learn about lung cancer Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control. Lung cancer occurs when these cells begin to grow in the lungs and may spread to other organs in the body.3 There are two main kinds of lung…

May 27, 2021 Word for Word Media
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…

May 25, 2021 Word for Word Media

Oncology Buddies is proud to present the first Advanced NSCLC ALK+ lung cancer patient journey for your ease of reference and understanding of the route your journey may look like. Please note: this patient journey is only for ALK+ lung cancer and not applicable for all lung cancer patients.

NSCLC ALK Lung Cancer Patient Journey
November 30, 2020 Word for Word Media

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers globally affecting 2,09 million people in 2018.1 Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death with 1,76 million deaths worldwide in 2018.1 Smoking and lung cancer People who smoke cigarettes are 15 to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke.2 The best way to reduce your risk of lung cancer is to not smoke and to avoid second hand smoke.3 Quitting smoking at any age can lower the risk of lung cancer.2 Signs and symptoms of lung…

November 30, 2020 Word for Word Media
Metastatic lung cancer patient, Liezl Nell, shares how baking during lockdown transformed into an online bakery that in turn raised funds to cover some of the co-payments of her treatment. Liezl Nell (31) lives in Randburg, Gauteng with her two older sisters, Louw-Mari and Bernadette. An active life was what Liezl lived. She played several club sports, like tennis and hockey, and was at the gym at least once a day. So, when she experienced pain above her left rib and shoulder, in Oct 2019, she thought it was a muscle that she had pulled.  Two weeks went by…

November 27, 2019 Word for Word Media
Medical oncologist, Dr Sze Wai Chan, informs us of all we need to know about how lung cancer has been treated in 2019. Lung cancer is common and is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. In South Africa, it often gets confused with the epidemic of TB.   The signs and symptoms of TB are very similar to lung cancer and investigations for TB often delay the actual investigations and diagnosis of lung cancer.  Common signs and symptoms Cough that doesn’t go away in a few weeks. Coughing up blood Short of breath Chest pain Loss of weight Night sweats Hoarseness…