VISION, FEBRUARY 2011

FEBRUARY 2011

2011 Shavathon
The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) turns 80 years old this year and their eighth
Shavathon event takes place 3 – 5 March 2011. Last year’s Shavathon was a resounding success
thanks to the thousands of South Africans who showed solidarity with cancer survivors at their
schools, work places and shopping venues countrywide.
In response to the overwhelming support in 2010, Shavathon 2011 will have an extra corporate
Shavathon day on Thursday the 3rd of March, followed by Friday the 4th. The public can partici-
pate on Saturday the 5th at their nearest shopping mall.
To add an extra fun touch to hair colour-spraying stencils, introduced last year, are again avail-
able and can be purchased at R12 for a pack. The stencil designs available are a star, butterfly,
flower, soccer ball, lightning bolt and the word “warrior”. Stencils are supplied in packs of six –
one of each design.
South Africans from all over the country, family and friends, workplace staff, visitors, clients and
suppliers can shave or spray in a multitude of colours and show solidarity with a cancer survivor
for a R50 donation, children under 12 pay R25. Pledges can also be collected from family and
World Cancer Day
friends to help raise funds for CANSA’s wide-reaching services. A cancer survivor lights a candle in
remembrance of patients who have
The first CANSA Shavathon was held in the Eastern Cape as a way to show solidarity or support succumbed to the disease at a ceremony
for cancer patients as losing one’s hair is a common side effect of chemotherapy. Since then the to mark World Cancer Day held at
event has gone national and included spraying as an alternative for people not willing or able to CANSA Johannesburg on February 4.
shave their heads.

CANCER DECLARATION

Play your part in the

fight against cancer
People Living With Cancer and their affiliated
Cancer Buddy support network is calling on ALL
South Africans to Stand Up For Cancer by signing
the declaration. Whether you are a cancer survivor
or not we would like to hear your voice and have
your support.
The goal is to add 100,000 signatures to the
declaration that will then be handed to the South
African National Department of Health to scale up
awareness of the fight against cancer, which in
many countries still takes a back seat to other
public health priorities.
Stand up for Cancer - go to www.plwc.org.za and
sign the Cancer Declaration – it will only take a
couple of minutes and you will also be helping to
make our South African Department of Health
understand the urgent need for a Cancer Registry .

1

THE VIEW FROM THE OTHER SIDE -
Familiarity
We say we exchange words when we
meet.What we exchange is souls.
-Minot J. Savage
It was Monday evening. The shelves in the electronics department
overflowed with different styles, prices, and brands of headphones,
all displayed in sealed plastic cases. I was in the mood to buy but
was baffled by the array of options in front of me. This was not
going to be as simple as I had thought.
A young salesperson broke off his conversation and sauntered casu-
ally to where I was struggling. Grinning impishly, he leaned on the
display. “Hey,” he wanted to know, “how was your weekend?”
“How was my weekend?” I repeated silently to myself. I neither
looked up nor answered.What kind of question was that? Was this
some new technique he had learned guaranteed to increase the
likelihood of a sale? I’m here looking at headphones and he wants
to know about my weekend?
I put down the package I was examining and glanced up at him. “It
was busy but I doubt anything that happened would be of much
interest to you.” My desire to spend money at that store had evapo-
rated. As I headed toward the door, he called after me to wish me a
nice day. I can only imagine his facial expression as he did so.
The next morning, I was in the office seeing a newly diagnosed can-
cer patient. Each question about her cancer and its symptoms elicit-
ed more anxiety. She nearly shook as she related the problems she
had experienced: worsening pain, trouble swallowing, difficulty talk-
GVI sponsor new Fundraising Office for
People Living With Cancer, Cape Town
2
VISION, FEBRUARY 2011
ing. Her unease only grew as I probed her smoking and dietary
habits. Her family tried to reassure her.
I crossed the room to begin the examination. As I checked her skin, I
noticed that she had a faint sunburn. Maybe there was a story there.
“So tell me,” I asked with a smile, “how was your weekend?”
Her face lit up. As I continued the examination, she told me about how
Saturday had been spent outdoors watching her grandchildren play
soccer, taking them both to the park, and then stopping for ice cream.
Sunday had started with church and then a quiet afternoon with an
old and dear friend. By the time she finished, she had visibly relaxed
and I had a context through which to understand how her upcoming
treatment would affect her, her family, and her close friends.
I suppose it was presumptuous of me to ask about my patient’s
weekend. I had, after all, bristled at the notion that the young sales-
person considered it his right to ask about mine. Occasionally, a
patient will let me know that I have crossed a boundary when I
steer the discussion toward the more personal.
Most of the time, though, my patients are very willing to share their
stories. From my perspective, there are practical reasons to understand
social contexts and relationships; what they choose to share often
points to the people and things that are most important to them.
Months from now, when the fear of the disease has been mastered
and she finally sees her life as pre-cancer and post-cancer, it is very
possible that my patient will turn to me with a smile and ask about
my weekend. As I happily summarise my time away from work,
maybe I will throw in the tale about how I was so rude to the young
salesperson. I suspect we will laugh at both his ingratiating tactic
and my overly sensitive reaction. After all, when I tell it correctly, it
really does make for a great story.
Dr Bruce Campbell is a head and neck cancer surgeon (otolaryngologist) at
Froedtert & the Medical College ofWisconsin. Read his blog at
http://www.froedtert.com/HealthResources/
ReadingRoom/HealthBlogs/Reflections.htm
Dr Ernst Marais Practice Manager of the
Rondebosch GVI Oncology Centre
handing over the keys to Colleen Lester
of PLWC for the new Fundraising Office
which they are sponsoring.
A series of fundraising events is planned
for Cape Town and Johannesburg for this
year.
In the main picture Dr Marais, Colleen
Lester the Fundraising Manager and
Linda Greeff are with the team of tele-
marketers.

The Consumer Protection Act and cancer patients:
what you should know
Although it was announced recently that its implementation will be
delayed until 1 April 2011, the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) is
important to all patients. Some parts of the Act, such as the liability
of all suppliers for the products they sell, are already in force. The
Consumer Commission is in the process of being set up, and the
Consumer Tribunal (which will be the same as a High Court) has its
offices in Centurion.
There are nine consumer rights in the Act:
The 9 Consumer (patient) rights in the CPA: the right to –
Equality in Fair and responsible Disclosure and
marketing marketing information
Privacy Fair and honest Fair, just and reasonable
dealing terms and conditions
Choose A supplier being Fair value, good
accountable quality and safety
The CPA gives good guidance as to what providers (e.g. doctors and
hospitals) and suppliers (e.g. pharmaceutical- and medical device
companies) should do, or not do, when selling their services and/or
products and interacting with customers in the healthcare setting.
From a patient perspective, patients should take note of the
following:
! Make sure you understand what treatment options are available
to you, and make sure you exercise an informed choice in that
regard. Note that many influences may play in on you, such as
the doctors’ preferred treatment option, your medical scheme’s
views on whether they would pay, and then the views of family
members, friends and even other cancer survivors or patients.
You have the right to choose, and the right to not be unduly
pressurised into making any specific decision.
! Ask for information in an understandable format, and ask for
things to be re-explained if needed. Ask the doctor or nurse not
to use medical terms and to explain to you in particular what
the risks and warnings are in relation to each treatment option
and medicines they will use. Also ask them to explain what is
expected from you, the patient, i.e. what should, or should you
not be doing to optimise the treatment outcomes.
! Providers have to correct any misunderstanding a patient may
express. Be open and honest with the doctor, and share what
you have read or heard with him or her. They are under a legal
duty to correct you if the information is wrong or provided out
of context, so do not feel offended if they differ from the things
you have heard.
! Note that, in healthcare, there are very few guarantees in terms
of success of treatment. Products and treatment often fail, not
because the product is defective, but because of the nature of
the illness or disease, the progression or the way in which your
own body reacts, or does not react, to treatment.
! The CPA makes it a legal duty for warnings to be made and risks
of serious harm or death be pointed out to you – do not be
alarmed, as all healthcare interventions carry some risk, and the
risk may be remote in some cases, and more frequent in others.
3
VISION, FEBRUARY 2011
By Elsabé Klinck
Ask the doctor about the possibility of the risk materialising if
you are concerned.
! Read the documentation provide to you by the hospital, facility
and doctors. If you do not get a copy, ask for a copy. Also make it
a habit to read package inserts and instructions on medicines
and medical devices – follow these carefully. If you feel any side
effects, etc, discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist. Also
remember to always disclose, even if the doctor or pharmacist
does not ask, what other medications you are taking, and advise
them of allergies, sensitive tummies, etc.
! Make sure you understand what a product is actually for. In the
case of health products, they will be registered for use in certain
conditions and under certain circumstances, but not in others.
Make sure that you stick within those, and that if you are
required to use it for something else that you get written assur-
ance from the person so recommending, that there is substantial
proof that the product will also work in that other circumstance.
! You are entitled to get a quotation, or a fixed price, for health
services up front. Ask for a quotation of what treatment will cost,
and ask that the quotation point out the factors that will influ-
ence the quotation (i.e. make it higher or lower). This is your
right in terms of the CPA.
! Note that there is a separate relationship between you and your
medical scheme. They do, however, also have to comply with this
Act and communicate to you clearly on your benefits, limita-
tions to benefits and exactly what they will, or will not pay for,
and what they require from you (e.g. to register your condition
with them, or to provide a doctor’s motivation letter). Note that
you can always lodge a complaint at the Council for Medical
Schemes if you are not happy with how things are turning out:
complaints@medicalschemes.com.
! Lastly, if you are uncertain about anything, ask.You can also
always ask for a second opinion, or a third.
Elsabé Klinck is a B.Iuris, LL.B graduate,
who also completed a degree in
Psychology for Applied Professional
Contexts and an Honours Degree in
German.
She started her career in the Department
of Constitutional Law at the Free State
University, where she also worked for the
Centre for Human Rights Studies, manag-
ing amongst others, voter education and
paralegal training projects.
Elsabé has been working in the health sector since 2001, gaining
valuable experience dealing with medical practitioners and phar-
maceutical issues, as well being a key contributor to a prominent
health care consulting company.
She has extensive knowledge and practical experience in health
care/medical practice issues, medical schemes, medicines, medical
devices and patient rights and a background in constitutional/
human rights law.
 VISION, FEBRUARY 2011

News from C a n S u r v i v e
around the world CANCER SUPPORT GROUP
The Group is run by members of the
Johannesburg Branch of People Living
With Cancer in association with the
Pre-surgical stress management for Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre
prostate cancer patients and is open to any patient or caregiver.

A study by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson

Cancer Center of the effects that pre-surgery stress management
Meetings are held on the second
training has on immune outcomes in men with prostate cancer Saturday of each month at 9h00 at
undergoing radical prostatectomy (surgical removal of the prostate)
has shown distinct benefits for patients who received the training. 18 Eton Road, Parktown
(opposite Wits Donald Gordon
A third of the men in the study received routine care. Another group
Medical Centre main entrance)
was given “supportive care,” meaning they had access to psycholo-
gists one to two weeks before surgery as well as right before the
operation and in the days after the procedure. But a third group All patients and caregivers are welcome
received stress management training. They met with a psychologist
for support and also learned deep breathing and guided-imagery
No charge is made
techniques to help cope with the stress of surgery. They underwent Enquiries:
a mental imagery exercise so they understood everything that
would be happening to them in surgery and recovery. Booster ses- 073 975 1452
sions were held on the morning of the operation and two days after email: jhb@plwc.org.za
surgery. A guide and audiotapes were supplied so they could prac-
tice on their own. website: www.plwc.org.za
Two days after surgery, the men who had received stress manage-
ment had a measurably stronger immune response, based on higher
maintain high standards of professionalism in a dysfunctional
levels of natural killer cell function and circulating pro-inflammatory
health system? How can we promote equity in access to health-
cytokines, which affect the healing process.
care? and How can we meet the basic survival needs of the world's
The stress management group also had lower mood disturbances poorest people?
before surgery, but this was not found to be associated with
The most interesting part for patients will be a symposium on
immune outcomes.
Wednesday, 23 March during which the speakers will address these
"This study and evidence from other studies show that psychologi- issues and engage in conversation about present inequalities and
cal intervention before an acute stressor can be beneficial to plans to remedy these, such as the proposed National Health
patients," said Cohen, who is also director of the Integrative Insurance.
Medicine Program. "The implications are that managing stress has
biological as well as psychological benefits and might have an effect ASCO’s calls for early, realistic
on aspects of disease."
conversations
Article URL:
Oncologists should initiate difficult discussions about palliative care
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/215166.php
and symptom relief throughout the course of an illness, and not
wait until the end stage to discuss these options with patients who
Ethics Alive 2011 - Justice in Healthcare have advanced cancers, according to a new policy statement self-
The Faculty of Health Sciences and the Wits Steve Biko Centre for described as a "clarion call" from the American Society of Clinical
Bioethics are hosting Ethics Alive 2011 under the theme Justice in Oncology.
Healthcare. This annual four-day event consists of debates and dis-
"There is a need to change the paradigm for advanced cancer care
cussions exploring issues according to themes revolving around
to include an earlier and more thorough assessment of patients'
healthcare such as ethics, law and human rights. The 2011 week will
options, goals, and preferences, and to tailor the care that we deliver
run from 22-25 March.
to these individual needs throughout the continuum of care," Dr.
As a cornerstone value of democratic South Africa, justice is a topic Jeffrey M. Peppercorn of Duke University Medical Center in Durham,
which demands ever-more discussion and debate. In healthcare, N.C., and his coauthors wrote in the statement published online in
equal access to, and fair distribution of, resources is a continuous the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
challenge. This challenge is epitomised at present by ongoing debate
Too often the transition from a focus on disease-directed treatment
around the proposed National Health Insurance - which makes the
to an emphasis on palliative care comes within days of the end of
Ethics Alive week of debating justice issues pivotal in the pursuit of
life, they noted (J. Clin. Oncol. 2011 Jan. 24
meeting the health-related needs of the nation.
[doi:10.1200/JCO.2010.33.1744]). "This is a clarion call for oncolo-
Topics during the four-day discourse will address questions relating gists as individual practitioners, and for our profession in general, to
to justice in health care, such as: How can healthcare professionals take the lead in curtailing the use of ineffective therapy and ensur-
4
 VISION, FEBRUARY 2011

ing a focus on palliative care and relief of symptoms throughout the

course of illness."
Dates to remember
ASCO has also released a new guide to help start difficult discussions
about end-of-life care with advanced cancer patients. "Central to all 26 February Bosom Buddies Valentine’s Bal
of these goals is the need for realistic conversations about options
and alternatives that should occur throughout the course of the 28 February Cape Town PLWC Support Group
patient's illness." Such conversations may currently occur in fewer 1-4 March R4R Volunteer Training
than 40% of patients with advanced cancer, the authors observed.
5 March CANSA Shavathon
But not everyone agrees. One reader responded “How are you going
12 March Cancer Support Group, Parktown 0900
to discover what works and does not work if you give up? It will
take away hope ... a necessary ingredient for life. I am a cancer sur- 12 March R4R General meeting/Support 10h00
vivor and I look toward LIFE and not toward END of life ... we are all 26 March Bosom Buddies meeting
different individuals, so please do not set our life aside...DO NO
HARM!!!!!!!! “ 28 March Cape Town PLWC Support Group
9 April Cancer Support Group, Parktown 0900
The association between physical activity 13 April R4R General meeting/Support 13h30
and cancer control 18 April Cape Town PLWC Support Group
Physical activity is an important health behaviour for many diseases
7 May Bosom Buddies meeting
but its role in cancer control has been understudied and underap-
preciated. The book, Physical Activity and Cancer, published by 14 May Cancer Support Group, Parktown 0900
Springer (Nov 2010) and edited by Kerry S. Courneya and Christine 21 May R4R General meeting/Support 10h00
M. Friedenreich, explores in depth the relation between physical
activity and cancer control, including primary prevention, coping 28 May Bosom Buddies Pink Pyjama Party
with treatments, recovery after treatments, long-term survivorship, 30 May Cape Town PLWC Support Group
secondary prevention, and survival.
11 June Cancer Support Group, Parktown 0900
The first part of the book presents the most recent research on the
11 June Bosom Buddies 6th birthday bash
impact of physical activity in preventing a range of cancers. In the
second part, the association between physical activity and cancer 27 June Cape Town PLWC Support Group
survivorship is addressed. The effects of physical activity of support- 29 June R4R General meeting/Support 14h00
ive care endpoints (e.g. quality of life, fatigue, physical functioning)
and disease endpoint (e.g. biomarkers, recurrence, survival) are care- 9 July Cancer Support Group, Parktown 0900
fully analysed. 25 July Cape Town PLWC Support Group
In addition, the determinants of physical activity in cancer survivors 30 July Bosom Buddies meeting
(e.g. medical, social cognitive, environmental) are discussed, and
13 August Cancer Support Group, Parktown 0900
behaviour change strategies for increasing physical activity in cancer
survivors (e.g. counselling, print material) are appraised. 13 August R4R Volunteers update 10h00
The final part of the book is devoted to further special topics, 14 August Bosom Buddies Spinathon / Boxathon
including the relation of physical activity to paediatric cancer sur- 29 August Cape Town PLWC Support Group
vivorship and to palliative cancer care.
3 September Bosom Buddies Mad Hatters Tea Party
Source: University of Alberta - Faculty of Physical Education and 7 September R4R General meeting/Support 14h00
Recreation 10 September Cancer Support Group, Parktown 0900
Hard exercise reduces prostate cancer CONTACT DETAILS :
mortality considerably People Living With Cancer, Johannesburg: 073 975 1452,
plwc@icon.co.za
Men with prostate cancer who exercise vigorously have a signifi-
People Living With Cancer,Cape Town: 076 775 6099,
cantly lower risk of dying from the disease compared to other diag-
info@plwc.org.za, www.plwc.org.za
nosed males, according to a study published in the Journal of
Clinical Oncology. Bosom Buddies: 0860 283 343, www.bosombuddies.org.za
Campaign for Cancer: www.campaign4cancer.co.za
Harvard School of Public Health and University of California, San
Francisco researchers said this is the first study to examine what CANSA Johannesburg Central: 011 648 2340, 19 St John Road,
effect physical activity may have after a diagnosis of prostate can- Houghton, www.cansa.org.za
cer on cancer-specific and overall mortality and their lead author, Reach for Recovery (R4R) : Johannesburg, Antoinette Reis,
Stacey Kenfield, says that results suggest that men can reduce their 011 648 0990 or 072 849 2901
risk of prostate cancer progression after a diagnosis of prostate can- Reach for Recovery: Harare, Zimbabwe contact 707659.
cer by adding physical activity to their daily routine.
Cancer Centre - Harare: 60 Livingstone Avenue, Harare
Kenfield and team examined data on 2,705 males with prostate Tel: 707673 / 705522 / 707444 Fax: 732676 E-mail:
cancer from the Health Professional Follow-Up Study over a period cancer@mweb.co.zw www.cancerhre.co.zw
of 18 years. Patients reported how much physical activity they did
5

each week, including cycling, running, walking and other exercises.
They found that any type of regular exercise improved overall sur-
vival, regardless of intensity. However, those who walked at least 90
minutes per week at a normal or brisk pace were 46% less likely to
die from any cause compared to men who walked less than 90 min-
utes per week at a slow pace whilst those involved in "vigorous
activity" had a significantly lower risk of dying from prostate cancer.
Vigorous activity in this case meant doing at least three hours of
intensive exercise each week. They found that a prostate cancer
patient who takes part in vigorous activity has a 61% lower chance
of dying from prostate cancer compared to those who only did one
hour or less of easy exercise per week.
Article URL:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/212898.php
Drug companies fight to keep their profits
The Wall Street Journal reports that brand-name drug companies
are fighting to weaken a provision of the health overhaul that was
designed to open up generic competition in biotechnology medi-
cines and save billions of dollars.
The brand-name companies have drawn support from key lawmak-
ers, raising alarms among generics makers who hoped to enter a
huge market previously blocked to them.
"Biologic" drugs, which are proteins manufactured in living cells,
account for some of the most lucrative products on the market and
are increasingly used to treat difficult diseases such as cancer and
rheumatoid arthritis.
Biologics can cost tens of thousands of dollars a year.
Patient communication
According to the British Medical Journal, the British Medical
Association (BMA) has taken a big, paternalistic step backward
regarding patient participation. The BMA is concerned about the
prospect of GPs communicating electronically with patients.
Although this may have advantages, such as reducing patients’
temptation to seek advice and treatment from unregulated web-
sites, potential dangers include the risk of missing symptoms that
would be spotted in face to face consultations and the threat of “a
deluge of communication” diverting clinicians from seeing patients!
e-Patient Dave de Bronkhart writes: The concerns are familiar but
archaic. In the US Kaiser has ten years of experience showing that
email reduces the total number of patient touches, and besides,
patients love being able to read and write 24/7. Dr. Danny Sands
said, “How can patients participate if they can’t see the same infor-
mation?” And how are they supposed to participate in shared deci-
sion making? It’s not sufficient to say “The doctor will tell the
patient whatever they need to know.” The record shows that time-
pressured physicians commonly do not. And as I’ve said many times,
whose data is it, anyway? Whose health is it?
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR PUBLICATION IN
“VISION” NEWSLETTER
Articles and letters submitted for publication
in VISION are welcomed and can be sent to
The Editor at: cansurvive@icon.co.za or faxed
to 086 684 8830
6
VISION, FEBRUARY 2011
PLWC Cape Town
Have you, a friend or a family member been diag-
nosed with cancer? Do you have any questions or
concerns? Do you feel the need to talk to others
who have been in the same position?
Or are you a survivor and would just like to meet
and interact with other survivors?
You are invited to join us at our Cancer Support
Group held at Vincent Pallotti Hospital in the GVI
Oncology unit
Time: 18h00 – 19h30
See the calendar on page 5 for dates
or contact the PLWC helpline on 076 775 6099
WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU
Patient participation
e-Patient Dave also speaks about how he was thrilled to see author
Dr. Zack Meisel describe how patient engagement actually plays out
for him:
Recently I saw a patient who came to the ER with a strange
rash. She arrived with color printouts that correctly identified
her condition. Not only was she correct in her self-diagnosis,
but I am not sure I would have considered the right diagnosis so
quickly if she hadn’t brought in the pictures (it was a common
condition with an atypical presentation). I know many health
providers who have experienced similar circumstances.
Partnership! An engaged patient, trying to contribute what she can,
helps the physician do his job.
Dave goes on to say more about Googling:
To debate whether patients should or should not Google their
symptoms (which a surprising number of doctors seem to enjoy
engaging in) is an absurd exercise. Patients already are doing it, it is
now a fact of normal patient behavior, and it will only increase as
Internet technology becomes ever more ubiquitous.
The average Joe has more health information at his fingertips —
both credible and charlatan — than all the medical libraries ever
built put together. So the real question is, What can professionals do
to translate this phenomenon into better health for their patients
and the public?
That information-at-the-fingertips point resonates with what a
Dartmouth-Hitchcock anesthesiologist told me on a plane flight
last May: “I have to take my laptop into the OR. We don’t physically
have, here in the building, all the information I might need during
the procedures.”
Dave comments: I think it’d be great for the Society for
Participatory Medicine to accelerate this shift by developing tools to
teach smart info-shopping. Culture change doesn’t show up in life
all that often, and we should guide it.
And more patient participation
At their Annual Forum in December, the US Institute for Healthcare
Improvement (IHI) did two extraordinary patient-oriented things.

They invited fifty patients to attend at no cost, and then they put
the talk that Society for Participatory Medicine (SPM) president Dr.
Danny Sands and e-patient Dave deBronkart delivered on patient
engagement at the top of the agenda - right after the opening
speech by IHI president Maureen Bisognano.
Thanks to the IHI for their commitment to patient engagement.
Conference organizers everywhere, join us – it’s a new world!
The video can be seen at: http://epatientdave.com/videos/#IHI
Reducing the risk of heart failure
associated with chemotherapy
A breakthrough by scientists at Queen's University Belfast could
help reduce heart failure in cancer patients around the world, and
ultimately increase survival rates.
Scientists at Queen's Centre for Vision and Vascular Science have
discovered the role of an enzyme which, when a patient receives
chemotherapy, can cause life-threatening damage to the heart. This
has, until now, restricted the amount of chemotherapy doses a
patient can receive; but while protecting the heart, this dilutes the
chemotherapy's effectiveness in destroying cancerous tumours.
By identifying the role of the enzyme - NADPH oxidase - work can
now go ahead into making chemotherapy treatments more effec-
tive and reduce the toxic effects of cancer treatment on the heart.
Dr David Grieve, jointly leading on the research at Queen's School
of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences said: "While
Cancer Coping Kit
The multi-lingual Cancer Coping Kit helps cancer patients cope
with their journey to recovery, thanks to a grant from the
National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF).
The Cancer Coping Kit is available in English, Afrikaans, isiZulu
and seSotho. It provides knowledge and understanding for peo-
ple diagnosed with cancer. The kit also provides family members
and caregivers with information and coping techniques. Patients
or caregivers can obtain the kit from:
Bev du Toit: 073 235 1571
People Living With Cancer: 073 975 1452
The Breast Health Foundation: 076 479 0400
CANSA: 011 648 2340
7
VISION, FEBRUARY 2011
Mammography on the move
The Pink Drive mobile mammography truck which will be doing
clinics for the Western Cape Dept of Health in collaboration with
Tygerberg Hospital.
Seen here with the truck are Dr Leon Gouws of GVI oncology, Cape
Town City Councillor Vos, Tarryn Corlett from the Sunflower
Foundation and Michelle Korevaar CEO of Spice4Life who handles
the PR for the Pink Drive NGO
This function was attended by 120 representatives from Cancer
NGOs and state hospital and private oncology centres and Pink
Drive took this opportunity to honour all caregivers who assist
cancer patients and their families daily.
chemotherapy drugs are highly effective in treating a wide range of
tumours, they can also cause irreversible damage to the heart. This
means that doctors are restricted in the doses they can administer
to patients. In recent years, scientists have been searching for new
drugs to prevent these side-effects.
Article URL:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/216249.php
FROM A POPULAR BLOGGER -
Please don’t judge your medical team!
I can only speak from my experience as a physician but I would
bet this applies to most professionals whose job involves wit-
nessing or tending to the pain of others. I believe physicians have
to strike a pretty precarious balance: feeling and showing enough
empathy to provide care that is felt to be good care, with a per-
sonal connection, and maintaining enough separation of self to
be able to function and provide care that is competent, prompt,
and unencumbered by personal difficulties or emotional hang-
ups. It's very easy, I think, on the one hand to be too distant, and
to fail to connect on a human level for the sake of the work being
done, and on the the other hand to get too personally involved,
to over-identify with the sufferer - literally what the word patient
means - and to be hampered in your caregiving because you
have to run to the locker room and cry. A good doctor has to be
able to cry, with or for others, but also to be able to postpone
crying till later so that good work can be done. It does my
patients absolutely no good if I am too busy sobbing for them to
be able to hook up a syringe full of pressor and save them from
their own shock. I also serve them ill, however, if I feel nothing for
them whatsoever.
So to any patients or future patients out there: please don't
judge physicians and nurses for staying calm while your life is
falling apart or your loved one is in agony. As long as they are
calm without being cold, caring without falling apart, and doing
the right thing for your safety, they are serving you as best they
can. When the time is right, and the work is done, they will allow
time and space for that ache in their heart to remind them of
you, and of why they strove to be there for you in the first place.
T, Anaesthesiologist
 VISION, FEBRUARY 2011

Keurboom - a haven for

cancer patients
CANSA’s Interim Home in Belgravia provides comfort for the body
and soul after a day at the Charlotte Maxeke’s clinics. Patients from
outlying areas are welcomed into this lovely home and provided
with food and shelter for the duration of their outpatient treatment.
Transport to and from the hospital is also provided. The Home can
accommodate 20 patients and has specially trained staff.
Manager, Sandi van Tonder played host this month to a group made
up of buddies from the Cansurvive Cancer Support Group and the
Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre’s Senior Nursing staff who
were most impressed with the friendly atmosphere of the Home.
The house was originally donated to CANSA by the Johanesburg
East Rotarian Association in 1975 and they have maintained their
active support of the Home as
have many businesses in the
area and also the National
Lottery.
Left: Willing helpers such as
these young ladies from Jeppe
Girls High, regularly arrive to
help Sandi with various tasks.

DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for information purposes only and

is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional.
Please consult your doctor for personal medical advice before
taking any action that may impact on your health.
The views expressed are not necessarily those of People Living With
Cancer or those of the Editor.