Melanoma | oncology buddies your guide to cancer care

Clinical Trials Heleen Feldmann – The trial of my life

March 31, 2025 Word for Word Media

Heleen Feldmann shares her current experience of being on a drug trial for advanced melanoma cancer.

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

Heleen Feldmann (44) lives in Johannesburg, Gauteng with her husband and three adult children. As a child, I always thought people in their forties were so old then I reached my forties. Little did I know my current age would be a life-saver. Melanoma diagnosis In 2024, I discovered a mole on my back as my gym clothes would scratch it. By October, it was just a bother,…

Childhood Cancer The gift of giggles

December 1, 2024 Word for Word Media

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We learn how Reach For A Dream’s Laughter Hero Programme is sharing the gift of giggles with children undergoing cancer treatment.

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

In addition to essential medical interventions, psychological and emotional care plays a vital role in helping children with cancer to navigate their journey with hope and resilience. One of the most powerful emotional interventions lies in the power of laughter, sometimes described as the best medicine. The Reach For A Dream Foundation, through our Laughter Hero programme, demonstrates the profound healing…

Advocacy What is better – UV clothing or sunscreen?

December 1, 2024 Word for Word Media

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The simple answer is both; Dr Rakesh Newaj, a dermatologist, goes into detail explaining the protective factors of UV clothing and sunscreen

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

Protecting yourself from sun exposure is crucial for reducing the risk of skin cancers and minimising photoaging. To help lessen the effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays, infrared light, and visible light, various recommendations are provided. UVB rays (makes up only 5% of the UV rays from the sun, but it’s very high energy) are linked to the development of squamous cell…

Melanoma Nonhlanhla Ramuhala – Coming out of hiding

December 1, 2024 Word for Word Media

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After losing her nose due to skin cancer, Nonhlanhla Ramuhala has decided to come out of hiding and face the world. She shares how she got to this place of acceptance.

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

Nonhlanhla Ramuhala (53) stays in Meyerton, Gauteng. She is married with three children. In 2013, Nonhlanhla had encephalitis (inflammation of the active tissues of the brain caused by an infection) and after recovery, stopped working. She also always battled with rhinitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane inside the nose) and would visit her GP many…

Melanoma Alastair Armstrong – Heart of steel

December 1, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Twenty-two years after successful osteosarcoma treatment, Alastair Armstrong underwent an amputation due to ongoing infections caused by an internal prothesis. Despite this, he has won many SA titles competing as a paracyclist.

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

Alastair Armstrong (58) lives in Lanseria, Gauteng with his wife and three children. In 1994, at the age of 28, Alastair reached new heights as a professional cyclist and was signed with a major sponsor. Unfortunately, this occurred at the same time that he started feeling pain in his right…

Girl Talk Melanoma and pregnancy: all the facts

April 1, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Dr Sumayya Ebrahim states all the current findings and facts regarding melanoma and pregnancy.

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

The incidence of melanoma has been steadily increasing over the last 40 years. Whilst the peak incidence occurs at 65 years, statistics show that about one third of female patients will be diagnosed with melanoma in their childbearing years. Pregnancy associated melanoma (PAM) is defined as any melanoma diagnosed during pregnancy or up to one year after delivery. Impact of pregnancy on melanoma There is significant debate in…

Melanoma Understanding melanoma

February 7, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Dr Rakesh Newaj explains how melanoma develops and the risk factors to look out for.

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

Melanoma, a term often heard but not always fully understood, is a type of cancer that originates from melanocytes (cells responsible for producing pigment, primarily found in the skin). While melanocytes are most commonly located in the skin’s upper layer (epidermis), they can also be found in the brain and eyes. Their primary function is to safeguard the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays….

Melanoma New Eucerin Sun Actinic Control Fluid SPF 100

November 30, 2022 Word for Word Media

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We find out more about how the new Eucerin Sun Actinic Control Fluid SPF 100 works by preventing actinic keratosis and non-melanoma skin cancer. Skin is much more than our body’s protective shield, it’s alive and reflects and affects how we feel inside. When our skin in healthy and radiant we feel comfortable and at one with ourselves. That is why Eucerin dedicates all their passion and expertise to your demanding sensitive skin. We develop clinically proven dermo-cosmetic solutions to protect, repair and sustain the health and beauty of your skin, giving you the feeling of confidence and well-being. For more…

Melanoma Beat melanoma through early detection

May 29, 2020 Word for Word Media

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May was Melanoma Awareness Month and CANSA highlights the stories of two survivors living with skin cancer to help educate and promote early detection of cancer. Melanoma, though less common than other skin cancers, is lethal. Exposure of the skin to excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation in childhood, increases the risk of melanoma later in life. Though it may be possible to have a melanoma even if you haven’t had extreme UV exposure. Some melanomas are extremely aggressive and progress rapidly within a few months. Early detection of melanoma is key to improved survival outcomes with five-year survival rates being…

Melanoma Mohs surgery

May 29, 2020 Word for Word Media

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Dr Tshepo Mokwena explains Mohs surgery for skin cancer. What is Mohs surgery? Also referred to as Mohs micrographic surgery, it’s a precise surgical technique used to treat different types of skin cancers. During Mohs surgery, thin layers of cancer-containing skin are adequately removed, and microscopically examined until only cancer-free tissue remains. The principle of Mohs surgery was developed, in 1938, by a general surgeon, Frederic E. Mohs, and the process was modified and perfected with modern technology to date. The state-of-the-art procedure allows a specialist dermatologist to be a surgeon (Mohs surgeon), a pathologist and a reconstructive surgeon. The process…

Melanoma Naniki Seboni – Brown skin girl

February 3, 2020 Word for Word Media

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Naniki Seboni tells us how she was teased at school for ‘wanting to be like a white girl’ because she used sunscreen and how at the age of 24, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 malignant melanoma. Naniki Seboni (29) lives in Soweto, Gauteng. Ailments as a child Naniki sufferred severe nose bleeds as a child. “We never knew what that was all about. My parents just took it as my sinuses as normally it would happen just before I got flu. But then it happened more frequently and had nothing to do with the flu,” Naniki explains. Eventually, a doctor…

Melanoma Beauty and the black spot

December 3, 2018 Word for Word Media

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Nicole Capper, Tammy Taylor Mrs South Africa 2018, tells us how at the age of 25, a malignant melanoma mole was discovered on the back of her left thigh. Nicole Capper (33) lives in Broadacres, Gauteng with her two children Josh (7) and Tatum (3). She is currently separated from her husband. Routine mole removal Nicole was diagnosed, by chance, during a routine mole removal performed by a plastic surgeon. “I’ve always had lots of moles but they irritated me and hooked on my clothing. I didn’t like them aesthetically either, so I opted to have them removed. With this…