Oncology Buddies magazine

Of the rare kind Myelofibrosis: blood factory under siege

August 1, 2026 Word for Word Media

Dr Romana Jassat unpacks myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer, including its causes, symptoms, and treatment options.

Myelofibrosis, a rare type of blood cancer, belongs to a group of blood disorders known as myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). It’s a complex disease with considerable variation in presentation, ranging from slowly progressive disease that remains stable for years to more aggressive forms that significantly affect quality of life and survival. It affects the bone marrow, the soft, spongy tissue inside the bones where blood cells are produced. The bone marrow can be thought of as the body’s blood factory. In myelofibrosis, this…

Of the rare kind Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen – Few and far between

November 29, 2022 Word for Word Media

#SpreadTheHope

Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen shares her plight of trying to find other survivors of choroidal melanoma, a rare eye cancer that she was diagnosed with. Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen (59) lives in the Western Cape with her husband. They have two children (24 and 22). Delayed eye test Due to COVID Wilma didn’t go for her eye test screening for new spectacles for two years so this year she decided to go. “The optometrist struggled to find a reading for my right eye but told me to choose a spectacle frame while he tested my husband. He tested my eyes again but still struggled to…

Of the rare kind Ocular melanoma

November 29, 2022 Word for Word Media

#SpreadTheHope

Dr Daleen Geldenhuys unpacks what ocular melanoma is. Melanoma is a malignancy most commonly associated with moles on the skin, but it can occur in other areas, such as the eye (ocular). It can occur in the skin around the eye, the conjunctiva (white part surrounding the colourful part of the eye) and the uveal tract (iris, ciliary body, and choroid (pigmented area in the eyeball). Approximately 85% of ocular melanomas arise from the uveal tract and the remainder arise in the conjunctiva or (rarely) the orbit. There are significant clinical and genomic differences between melanomas of the uvea, conjunctiva,…