Dec 2025-Jan 2026 | Future Glow Up Archives

In the Spotlight Gamma Knife SA – Advancing precision

December 2, 2025 Word for Word Media

Gamma Knife South Africa hosted an exclusive two-day radiosurgery training with Mr Ian Paddick.

Gamma Knife South Africa (SA) recently hosted an exclusive two-day radiosurgery training programme in South Africa, attracting neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, and medical physicists from across the country. The event was led by world-renowned medical physicist, Mr Ian Paddick, recognised internationally as a leading authority in stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and Gamma Knife treatment planning. The course, designed as an intensive, theory-focused programme, offered in-depth insights into radiobiology, SRS physics, precision treatment planning, and real-world patient case discussions. With the Leksell Gamma Knife® Icon…

Emotional Care Why your words matter

December 1, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Dr Lizanne Langenhoven touches on an important topic: why your words matter when speaking to someone who has cancer.

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

It may surprise you to hear that even as an oncologist, someone who talks to people with cancer every day, I don’t always know the right thing to say. After nearly a decade of walking this journey with patients, I’ve learned that every person’s experience with cancer is profoundly unique. Their personalities, fears, families, faith…it all shapes the way they cope. Despite all…

Real Talk Be aware of scams and overpromises

December 1, 2025 Word for Word Media

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René Botha gives sound advice on the warning signs of medical scams and overpromises.

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

A cancer diagnosis leaves patients extremely vulnerable, fearful, and sometimes desperate. These emotions may make patients easy targets for exploitation. There are many legitimate advances in treatment that extend and improve lives, but there is also a darker industry of scams and false promises preying on those who seek hope. It’s crucial for patients and their families to be able to identify and avoid these deceptions when navigating treatment. …

Caregivers Helping a loved one with cancer during treatment

December 1, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Caroline Rich defines the term caregiver and offers ways to support your loved one as best as you can.

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

Your loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, and you want to know what you can do to be supportive and provide the best care for them. This diagnosis can be overwhelming for the loved one, and so too for you as family and friends. The question is: what is the next step? What can I do to help make sure that this person feels supported and take…

Melanoma Rex Parsons – The will not to give up

December 1, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Rex Parsons tells us how thanks to his wife’s determination and research, he got further treatment for metastatic melanoma after being told there was nothing more to be done.

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

Rex Parsons (76) lives in KwaZulu-Natal with his wife, Jean. They have three daughters and two grandsons. Diagnosis in 1990 Rex was first diagnosed with malignant melanoma 35 years ago, in 1990, after consulting with a doctor as he had a sore on his back. “The melanoma was removed surgically. I had years of treatment; a…

Side Effects Give your skin a little love

December 1, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Dr Sarita Retief, an oncologist, explains the effect chemotherapy has on the skin and offers guidance to manage these side effects.

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

We are so used to regarding our skin only as an object of beauty, going through great efforts in the never-ending quest to look young for as long as possible. But we forget that our skin is the biggest organ and has several other functions. The functions of skin Protects against micro-organisms, sun, and chemicals. Regulates temperature through sweating and constriction of blood vessels….

Cancer Care Surgery support through nutrition

December 1, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Meagan Atcheson educates us on how to prepare the body for healing after surgery through nourishment.

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

A strong foundation for recovery For many people living with cancer, surgery is an important part of treatment. Whether it’s to remove a tumour, take a biopsy, or help relieve symptoms, surgery places extra stress on the body both physically and emotionally. What you may not realise, however, is that nutrition can make a powerful difference in how well you recover. When you nourish your body with the right nutrients…

Cervical Cancer Louise Abrahams – My journey inwards

December 1, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Louise Abrahams shares her cervical cancer journey and how she reignited her mind-body connection.

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

Louise Abrahams lives in Killarney, Gauteng, with her husband and their three children, aged 14, 9, and 7. Louise’s health challenges began in 2016, when a headache was followed by neurological fallout that disrupted her gait, speech, and vision. Investigations found no physical damage to her nervous system. The symptoms were attributed to stress. Louise accepted this as something she needed to push through. Life’s stressors felt unavoidable and…

Cervical Cancer Cervical cancer screening

December 1, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Kusha Kalideen highlights the importance of cervical cancer screening and discusses the two options: Pap smear and HPV PCR test.

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

Cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in South African females, is primarily caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a common viral infection that infects certain cells during skin-to-skin contact, often through sexual activity. There are several types of HPV, which can be classified into high-risk types (which are associated with the development of cervical cancer), and low-risk types (not typically associated with cancer). …

Clinical Trials A simple way to understand clinical trials

December 1, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Caroline Rich gives a brief outline of how to understand published clinical trials.

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

You have been diagnosed with cancer, so what does this mean for you? The doctors will give you information but it’s normal to want to learn more about your condition and what may happen to you going forward. In most cases, you’ll go online, and now with AI, detailed information is at your fingertips. As with any research, it’s important to ensure that you look at reliable sources, as not all the…

Childhood Cancer When Christmas hurts

December 1, 2025 Word for Word Media

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Bonita Suckling (mom to Jed) talks about grieving deceased loved ones on special days, like Christmas.

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

For nearly a decade, I didn’t do Christmas. No fairy lights on the balcony. No laughter spilling from the kitchen. Phone off. Silence. Dinner was peanut butter on toast. Birthdays came and went like ordinary days. Holidays had no colour, no music, no reason. Grief moved in and unpacked its suitcase. I think, in some strange way, I was honouring my son, Jed, by being sad. I wanted…

Counting Pennies Medical Schemes Open Season 2026

December 1, 2025 Word for Word Media

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The Council for Medical Schemes offers guidance when choosing a medical scheme or benefit option.

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

It’s open season for medical scheme members. Most schemes have now announced their 2026 contribution and benefit updates, which take effect from 1 January. Whether you’re happy with your current option or thinking about switching, be sure to review your choices and finalise your decision by December. With so many options available, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. The…