Aug-Sept 2025 | Winning together Archives

Out & About Palliative care at the forefront of healthcare revolution

August 4, 2025 Word for Word Media

We get an update of what transpired at the successful 2025 South African Palliative Care Conference.

Palliative care healthcare professionals across the country gathered in sunny Durban for the 2025 South African Palliative Care Conference, co-hosted by the Association of Palliative Care Centres (APCC), the Association of Palliative Care Practitioners of South Africa (PALPRAC) and Palliative Care for Children South Africa (PatchSA). The biennial conference celebrated the themes of Revolution. Evolution. Solution highlighting the extraordinary efforts by the palliative care community to increase access to high-quality palliative care in South Africa. With over 300 delegates joining each day to attend the…

Hodgkin Lymphoma Lymphoma survivorship journey

August 4, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Dr Garrick Laudin describes the lymphoma survivorship journey.

A recap on lymphoma Lymphomas are cancers of lymph nodes. The lymphatic system is the main component of the immune system comprised of lymph nodes (site where immune cells reside) and lymphatic channels that closely follow the course of blood vessels. Lymphomas encompass two broad groups, namely Hodgkin (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Within the category of NHL, the subtypes are diverse with both aggressive and less aggressive (indolent) forms. The diversity of the lymphoma subtypes also reflects the varied needs and survivorship of patients with these different lymphomas. What is survivorship? Survivorship…

Liver Cancer Transarterial radioembolization explained

August 4, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Prof Charles Sanyika explains transarterial radioembolization, a minimally invasive and highly targeted treatment for liver tumours.

Transarterial radioembolization (TARE), also known as selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT), is a form of targeted internal radiation therapy used to treat liver cancers. It involves delivering tiny radioactive particles directly into the blood vessels that supply cancerous tumours in the liver. This enables a high dose of radiation to be delivered to the tumour while minimising exposure to healthy liver tissue. The radioactive element most commonly used is yttrium-90 (Y-90), a pure beta-emitting isotope that delivers high-energy radiation over a very short distance, making it ideal for localised treatment…

Animals & Cancer We didn’t ask the cow

August 4, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Dr Andrew Robson discusses the moral implications of using animals in studies primarily benefiting humans.

In the late 18th century, a dairymaid noticed something remarkable: those who contracted cowpox didn’t seem to get smallpox. In 1796, Edward Jenner put this to the test. After early trials on cows, he injected a young boy with material from a cowpox lesion. The result? The first successful vaccination and eventual eradication of smallpox. This was a major milestone and the beginning of modern medicine. But the cow’s story, like so many animal stories in science, is rarely told. Behind many of our…

Be informed Can cancer survivors be organ donors?

August 4, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Megan Atcheson and Dr Andrew Robson educate us on organ donation, blood donation, and donating your body to science if you have a history of cancer.

Organ donation is a powerful, life-saving gift that can transform the lives of recipients. But for cancer survivors, the question of eligibility becomes more complex. While a history of cancer doesn’t automatically rule you out, several important factors determine whether you can donate organs or tissue. The main concern is the potential risk of transmitting cancer to the recipient. Different cancers carry different levels of risk. For example, survivors of low-risk, localised…

Sexuality and cancer Exploring other forms of sexual connection

August 4, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Lisa Welsh explores other forms of sexual connection after oncology treatment.

After cancer, intimacy can feel like unfamiliar territory. Treatment, surgery, medication, and emotional stress can all impact how you feel in your body. For many people, intercourse might not feel possible, comfortable, or even appealing. That doesn’t mean your sex life is over. It might just need a new definition; one that includes the kind of closeness that fits your life right now. Sex can be so much more than penetration. It encompasses closeness, touch, play, trust, and shared pleasure. And in many cases, discovering new ways to…

Girl Talk Chenel Botha – With tears and laughter

August 4, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Chenel Botha shares how her a metastatic vaginal cancer diagnosis has made her family closer, with tears and laughter.

Chenel Botha (49) lives in Alberton, Gauteng with her fiancé. She has two children (from her first marriages) and two grandchildren. Chenel was diagnosed with vaginal cancer in October 2019. She experienced bleeding which came as a shock as she had a hysterectomy (only her ovaries remained) in 2012. “I had pelvic and back pain but kept brushing it off,” she says. “I usually go for my annual gynae check-up in January, but it was July and I still hadn’t gone…

Cervical Cancer Managing menopause in cervical cancer survivors

August 4, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Dr Trudy Smith addresses the needs of younger cervical cancer survivors when managing menopause.

Menopause is a natural phase of life for most women, typically occurring between the ages of 45 and 55. However, for women treated for cervical cancer, particularly those who receive radiation, chemotherapy, or surgical removal of the ovaries, menopause can occur much earlier and more abruptly. One such patient, in her early 40s, found herself facing premature menopause after undergoing treatment. Her experience highlights a growing concern among younger cancer survivors: the lack of adequate support and tailored guidance for women navigating early treatment-induced menopause. Premature menopause after cervical…

Childhood Cancer Cynthia Apiyo – Rise up

August 4, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Cynthia Apiyo recalls how she lost her son, Jaydon, three years ago and calls on the public to unite for the interest of paediatric oncology.

Cynthia Apiyo (37) lives in Pretoria, Gauteng with her husband, Loyd, and their six-year-old daughter, Jemimah. I remember the ophthalmologist (specialist eye doctor) saying he suspected cancer. In that moment, the trapdoor opened, and I fell. How could Jaydon, my sweet two-year-old boy have cancer? Loyd, Jaydon, Jemimah, and I headed to what should have been a routine appointment. The four of us squeezed into our car with plans for the playground afterward. Just another weekday….

Leukaemia Meeting your stem cell donor

August 4, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Dr Charlotte Ingram, from the South African Bone Marrow Registry, educates us on the journey of connecting with your stem cell donor post-transplant.

For patients undergoing a bone marrow stem cell transplant, the journey is one of hope, healing, and sometimes, a profound desire to connect with the anonymous donor who gave them a second chance at life. But when and how can that connection be made? What is a stem cell transplant? A bone marrow stem cell transplant (BMT) is a life-saving procedure in which healthy blood-forming stem cells are infused into a patient’s bloodstream to replace diseased or damaged bone…