South Africa’s medical aid market is under fresh scrutiny for a pattern that clinicians and members know too well. This has prompted renewed discussion about value-based healthcare and its potential to improve patient outcomes and system sustainability. Schemes routinely fund high-cost, late-stage interventions. Yet they often resist paying for prevention and side-effect management that could avoid hospital admissions later. This…
Tag: Oncology
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Lower-Dose Immunotherapy Trials Expand Treatment Options
Ground-breaking new research suggests that dramatically lower doses or shorter courses of revolutionary immunotherapy drugs could be highly effective. This finding may eventually pave the way for wider global access to life-saving cancer treatments. Lower-dose immunotherapy trials are showing promising potential. Drugs like Merck & Co’s Keytruda and Bristol Myers Squibb Co’s Opdivo have transformed oncology. They boost survival rates…
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Precision Medicine: Transforming Treatment Approaches
A quiet revolution is reshaping healthcare, shifting the focus from merely managing symptoms to fundamentally altering the course of complex diseases. At the forefront of this evolution are two critical fields: precision medicine in oncology and groundbreaking new treatments for severe mental health conditions like schizophrenia and treatment-resistant depression. These advancements signal a move away from one-size-fits-all approaches and towards…
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Court Orders Cancer Treatment to End Backlog
The Gauteng High Court has ordered the provincial Department of Health to immediately tackle the severe oncology backlog, ruling that their appeal cannot delay life-saving treatment for cancer patients. The Gauteng High Court delivered a crucial judgment yesterday, ordering the provincial department of health (GDoH) to enforce a plan to clear its cancer treatment backlog immediately. The court ruled that…
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SA Scientists Pioneer Nanotech Therapy for Lethal Melanoma
In a significant medical breakthrough, scientists from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) have developed a novel therapy for melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. The innovative treatment combines advanced nanotechnology with a natural compound found in turmeric. This combination provides a powerful, targeted attack directly to cancer cells. The research by Wits University’s Advanced Drug Delivery Platform…
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Immunotherapy for Cancer and Early-Stage Success
Ground-breaking advancements in immunotherapy are poised to transform cancer care. New data reveal the effectiveness of these immune-boosting drugs in treating a wider range of cancers at their earlier stages. Previously established as life-extending treatments for advanced diseases, drugs such as Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo, AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi, and Roche’s Tecentriq are now demonstrating significant promise. They are preventing recurrence and…
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Are New Cancer Treatments Worth the Price?
A significant number of cancer drugs approved since 2000, as reviewed by Bloomberg News, have never been definitively shown to extend patient survival for their approved uses. This raises questions about the growing cost of cancer treatments. The landscape of cancer treatment has been revolutionized over the past three decades, with over 200 new cancer drugs greenlit by the US…
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Cancer Ruling Sparks Controversy in Gauteng
A week after a landmark ruling by the Johannesburg High Court declared the Gauteng Health Department’s handling of a significant cancer patient backlog unlawful, the department announced plans to appeal. This ruling highlighted the plight of over 3,000 cancer patients. These patients have faced waiting times of up to three years for treatment. Legal Action Initiated by the Cancer Alliance…
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UC loses patent battle over prostate cancer drug in SA
The University of California (UC) has encountered a significant legal setback in South Africa after the Johannesburg High Court revoked its patent for Xtandi. This prostate cancer drug extends life. This ruling paves the way for generic versions of the medication to be sold in the country, potentially lowering patient costs. Xtandi, developed at UC with funding from the National…