Oncology Buddies magazine

Cancer Care The role of adjuvant chemotherapy

July 31, 2024 Word for Word Media

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.

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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.

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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.

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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…

Skin Cancer The role of radiotherapy in skin cancer

March 31, 2023 Word for Word Media

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René Botha explains when radiotherapy is appropriate to be used as treatment for skin cancer and the types of skin cancer it can be used for.

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The skin is the largest organ of the body and skin cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers. When skin cancers are diagnosed early, most can be cured. Skin cancers are classified according to which cell type within the skin they originate from and are divided into melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The most common…

Leukaemia What is CAR T-cell therapy?

February 8, 2023 Word for Word Media

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Dr Lucille Sarah Singh details how CAR T-cell therapy works and how it will fit in the SA healthcare system. CAR T-cell therapy is the new kid on the block in the armamentarium of immunotherapy and cell and gene-based therapy. If nothing else, the COVID pandemic has put our immune systems under the spotlight; we have a heightened awareness of the exquisite repertoire of biological responses happening in our bodies on a daily basis to clear foreign invaders. These foreign invaders can be viruses and bacteria, but did you…

Treatment Implanted materials and radiotherapy – what is safe?

February 8, 2023 Word for Word Media

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René Botha explains the impact that implanted materials have on radiotherapy treatment. Radiotherapy is a treatment modality used to treat various malignancies throughout the body. Treatment courses generally range from one to 10 days for palliative treatments to five to seven weeks for cases treated with curative intent. Delivery of contemporary radiotherapy involves personalised planning using sophisticated computer software that takes into account the various densities of different tissues. Implanted materials, like dental restorations, orthopaedic implants, breast expanders and medical devices, all need to be carefully…

In the Spotlight Lenalidomide added to the Essential Medicines List

February 8, 2023 Word for Word Media

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The Cancer Alliance and multiple myeloma patients are celebrating the win of lenalidomide finally included on the Essential Medicines List for the public sector. The Cancer Alliance launched its Access to Medicine campaign on World Cancer Day, 4 February 2018, after the landmark report Exploring Patent Barriers to Cancer Treatment Access in South Africa: 24 Medicine Case Studies was published in 2017. From the 24 medicines, a list of eight medicines were selected as a dedicated focus for equitable access. Lenalidomide was one of the…

Treatment Immunotherapy pseudo progression

June 1, 2022 Word for Word Media

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Can your tumour get bigger before it gets smaller during treatment? Dr Ronwyn van Eeden explains the pseudo progression phenomenon. Immunotherapy has revolutionised cancer treatment over the past few years by leading to significant overall survival benefits in patients with advanced cancer. Immunotherapy works by activating the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. Unlike conventional therapies, such as chemotherapy, that cause shrinkage of tumours or cancer cells, because of the unique way in which immunotherapy works it can cause a different or atypical kind of response in cancer cells. Pseudo progression is one of these atypical responses. The exact mechanism by which it…