Oncology Buddies magazine

In the Spotlight Cryoablation: a new treatment option

June 2, 2025 Word for Word Media

Dr Gareth Bydawell explains cryoablation, its indications, patient selection criteria, procedural expectations, and the long-term success rates.

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

As an interventional radiologist, I often encounter patients seeking alternate treatment options for cancer, especially when facing surgery or a long course of chemotherapy. One such option is cryoablation, a procedure that uses extreme cold to carefully destroy cancer cells. What is cryoablation? Cryoablation involves inserting thin metal probes, under imaging guidance, into the tumour site and circulating extremely cold gas through these probes to freeze and destroy cancer…

Treatment Chemo ports 101

December 1, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Dr Daleen Geldenhuys gives us a rundown on chemo ports 101, explaining how they work, who should get them, and the insertion and removal process.

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

A chemotherapy port (chemo port) is a small device placed under the skin in the chest area that is usually hidden from sight but also not in the way of a seatbelt or a bra strap. It’s attached to a vein to deliver chemotherapy drugs to the body and can stay in for months to years. Removal is…

Cancer Care What is chemo belly?

December 1, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Dr Sarita Retief explains what chemo belly is, what it could be caused from, and how it would be treated.

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

Chemo belly is a non-medical term for discomfort, bloating, and abdominal distension that some people experience when having chemotherapy. Multiple factors can contribute to this feeling and if you feel distressed by this, your oncologist would evaluate the following: 1. Find out what were the baseline symptoms before chemotherapy was started. Did you have any food allergies like gluten or lactose intolerance…

Cervical Cancer Success of hyperthermia in cervical cancer

September 30, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Dr Carrie Minnaar explains why hyperthermia is heating up the field of oncology as it gains more attention with recent cervical cancer studies.

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

Cancer treatment is a tough journey, with treatments often having side effects that can be very challenging to deal with, but there are new treatment methods that bring hope. One of these is heat treatment, also known as hyperthermia. Using heat to treat cancer has been around since Hippocrates’ times and this ancient tool has recently been reinvented…

Cancer Care Life Oncology

September 19, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Life Oncology is moving oncology care forward so that you can look forward to life’s moments.

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

At Life Oncology, part of the Life Healthcare group, our purpose is to make life better. We’re constantly innovating and seeking ways to improve patient care and treatment outcomes. We’ve progressed in how we treat cancers of the brain and spine with new technology that helps us plan and deliver radiation therapy more precisely. New radiation tools This new technology, Brainlab RT Elements, is available at three Life Oncology…

Cancer Care The role of adjuvant chemotherapy

July 31, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Dr Karisha Quarrie, Life Healthcare’s Head of Clinical Directorate, explains the significance of adjuvant chemotherapy, a post-surgery therapy, in safeguarding against cancer recurrence and enhancing survival rates.

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

Adjuvant chemotherapy, also known as preventative chemotherapy, stands as a vital component in the comprehensive treatment of cancer. This includes the administration of chemotherapeutic agents after the primary treatment, typically surgery, to eliminate any remaining cancer cells and reduce the risk of recurrence. Dr Quarrie clarifies that the term preventative chemotherapy is colloquially used to describe…

Colon Cancer Graeme Le Roux – It was a no-brainer

June 2, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Graeme Le Roux tells us how cryoablation saved him from having major surgery, to remove a cancerous tumour, that would have left him with a urostomy bag.

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Graeme Le Roux (56) lives in Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal with his wife, Nicci, and their two children, aged 23 and 19. Graeme has had health issues since he was 29 years old; he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the digestive tract, which causes severe…

Cancer Care Radiotherapy: the powerful and versatile ally

June 2, 2024 Word for Word Media

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Radiotherapy is one of the pillars of cancer treatment. We take an in-depth look at what this treatment modality can achieve.

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

Radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery serve as the cornerstone of cancer treatment, offering hope and healing to millions around the globe. Radiotherapy has the ability to deploy high-energy particles or rays to target and eradicate cancer cells; it represents a powerful weapon in the fight against cancer. Chemotherapy takes a systemic route, deploying powerful drugs to seek out and…

Treatment Cutting-edge technology meets compassionate care

February 7, 2024 Word for Word Media

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We learn why Busamed Hillcrest Oncology Centre is considered the local gateway to top-tier radiation therapy services.

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Busamed Hillcrest Oncology Centre was established in 2018 with a focus on enhancing patient well-being. While specialising in breast cancer, our dedicated team extends its expertise to treat various cancers, including head and neck, lung, prostate, and other sites. Community-centric excellence Having assisted thousands of patients and their families, our commitment is unwavering. We deliver exceptional treatment using advanced technology in a comforting and easily…

In the Spotlight Who do you consult when you have cancer?

December 1, 2023 Word for Word Media

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Dr Cassandra Mbanje expands on the different types of oncologists and ultimately who you would consult with if you suspect you have cancer.

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

Medical terminology has a long, varied history with predominantly Greek and Latin roots. In fact, most of the medical terminology we use today can be attributed to both Hippocrates, who is widely considered the father of medicine, as well as Claudius Galen, a prominent doctor during the reign of the Roman Empire. At the most basic level, a medical…

Treatment How age plays a role in your treatment

May 31, 2023 Word for Word Media

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Social worker, Avril de Beer, explains the various life stages you could be in when diagnosed and how this and age plays a role in your treatment plan.

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In your 20s At this age as a young adult, you have many goals you want to achieve. You may want to finish your studies; find a good job; become financially independent from your parents; establish a circle of friends; and form a long-term romantic relationship. Although it might feel as if your diagnosis has ended your goals,…

For the boys Second-generation antiandrogens

March 31, 2023 Word for Word Media

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We learn about new treatment options for advanced prostate cancer: second-generation antiandrogens.

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

What is advanced prostate cancer (APC)? APC is diagnosed when treatments for localised prostate cancer have failed or when men present with symptoms of advanced disease. Prostate cancer (PC) initially starts to grow in the prostate and in the early stages the cancer is contained there (localised PC). If the cancer continues to grow and is left untreated, it eventually breaks out of the prostate and begins to invade the…