Cervical Cancer Rae van Nieuwenhuizen – Conquering the aftermath
November 30, 2020 Word for Word Media
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Cervical cancer survivor, Rae van Nieuwenhuizen, shares how she dealt with radiation dermatitis. Rae van Nieuwenhuizen (55) lives in Hillcrest, Kwa-Zulu Natal with her husband. They have two adult children.  Stage 2B cervical cancer I was diagnosed in October 2016 with Stage 2B cervical cancer at age 51. The tumour I had was roughly 5x4x2cm in size and was starting to infiltrate the walls of the cervix. My oncologist and gynaecologist proposed radiation, chemotherapy and intracavitary brachytherapy.   Despite many possible side effects being explained to me, I have such zest for life and decided to go ahead and deal with things should they occur.  The…

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Cervical Cancer (Sex) Life after radiotherapy treatment for cervical cancer
February 3, 2020 Word for Word Media
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Dr Mariza Tunmer, a radiation oncologist, tells us more about how radiation may cause side effects that can affect sexual health. Then Hester van Aswegen, a physiotherapist, advises what can be done to overcome these side effects. THE RADIATION ONCOLOGIST Radiotherapy is an important treatment modality used to treat many, if not most, patients with cervical cancer. When aiming to cure a patient diagnosed with cervical cancer, the treatment course will usually entail daily treatments, Monday – Friday, over six to seven weeks. Where possible, a low weekly dose of chemotherapy should be combined with radiotherapy as this improves cure rates….

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Cervical Cancer Sisters fight cervical cancer simultaneously
March 26, 2018 Word for Word Media
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It’s hard to imagine that cervical cancer affected the lives of two sisters in the same year, and in very different ways. Sisters, Alrita Groenewald and Tessa Supra, share their rare but moving story. The younger sister Alrita (41) was given less than 30% chance of survival, while her sister  Tessa Supra (46) chose to silently carry the burden of her subsequent diagnosis. Alrita’s cervical cancer diagnosis comes just after giving birth to her third child. In January 2015, Alrita, then six months pregnant, complained to her gynaecologist of excruciating back pain. Prevented from taking strong medication due to…

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Cervical Cancer The Cervical Cancer Vaccine
February 2, 2017 Word for Word Media
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We have all heard about the HPV vaccination and how it can save lives but how exactly does it work? Specialist gynaecologist, Dr Pam Pillay, expounds on this in light of January being Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.

Cervical cancer remains the most common gynaecological malignancy in women, and is associated with the highest cancer-related mortality rate. Its prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa remains high due to inadequate screening, lack of education, low compliance amongst women, and health inequity. Cervical cancer and pre-cancer is caused primarily by the human papilloma virus…

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Cervical Cancer What is cervical cancer?
July 1, 2015 Word for Word Media
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Cervical cancer develops in the cervix – the low, narrow mouth of the uterus (womb) that opens into the vagina. The Cervix protects your uterus. Cervical cancer is caused by a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV), which is transmitted primarily through sexual activity. Fast Facts Up to 80% of sexually active women will acquire an HPV infection at some point in their lives. Of these infections up to 38.6% will be from Oncogenic HPV types (cancer causing). Persistent infection with oncogenic HPV types may lead to cervical cancer. Globally 70% of all cervical cancer is caused by HPV 18 and…

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Cervical Cancer Cervical Cancer Risk factors and screening
December 10, 2013 Laurelle Williams
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Invasive cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers found in women and in developing countries it remains the second most common cause of cancer death in women. It is estimated that there are more than 500 000 new cases of cervical cancer every year, with in excess of 80% in developing countries like South Africa. In addition to these statistics, there are also a significant amount of women who develop premalignant cervical changes which can progress to cancer without appropriate screening and management. The central cause of cervix cancer is the Human Papiloma Virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted virus, which is responsible for 99% of…

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