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02 January 2024 | Story Leonie Bolleurs
UFS scientists contribute to the battle against cancer
From top left, moving clockwise: Dr Nerina van der Merwe, Dr Osayande Evbuomwan, Prof Alicia Sherriff, Profs Andreas Roodt and Alice Brink.

Cancer stands as a prominent contributor to deaths worldwide, with a big impact on families and communities. Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality in the world. The recent diagnoses of cervical cancer are 10 702 annually, with 5 870 patients passing away. Female breast cancer surpassed lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer in 2020 (American Cancer Society), representing 11,7% of all cancer cases, making it the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Researchers at the university are doing their part in the fight against cancer.

Treating prostate cancer

In July 2021, Dr Osayande Evbuomwan, Senior Lecturer and Medical Specialist in the Department of Nuclear Medicine, along with a team of university doctors, initiated patient treatment using radioligand therapy (RLT). This targeted nuclear medicine therapy delivers high radiation levels precisely to cancer cells, minimising damage to normal organs and tissue, a benefit not typically provided by conventional therapies.

It was the first time that Lutetium 177 PSMA – a type of PRRT – has been used to treat patients with metastatic castrateresistant prostate cancer (MCRPC) in the Free State, providing hope when standard treatments and conventional therapy are not an option. This treatment generally enhances quality of life, slows disease progression, and extends overall survival, with minimal side effects.

All three patients treated with Lu 177 PSMA so far have completed at least four therapy cycles and tolerated it well. The first two patients, while initially responding well, sadly passed away due to unrelated causes. The third case stands out as the most successful, responding excellently to seven treatment cycle and remaining in good health.

Dr Evbuomwan recently also obtained a license for a more effective therapy, AC 225 PSMA, as an alternative to Lu 177 PSMA.

Precise cervical cancer therapy

Medical personnel at the Universitas Academic Hospital also became the first in Southern Africa to use interstitial brachytherapy as a method for treating cervical cancer. Prof Alicia Sherriff, Head of the Department of Oncology, explains that brachytherapy – a form of internal radiation therapy – places the radiation source near or inside the cancer. “Precise delivery of curative doses to the cancer protects surrounding organs such as the bladder, rectum, and small bowel,” she explains.

Three to five weekly brachytherapy sessions under conscious sedation usually begins after two weeks of daily external beam radiation. On brachytherapy days, external beam radiation is not administered. “The intracavitary brachytherapy applicators are placed within the cervix and uterus and deliver high doses locally, but for surrounding tissue infiltration, additional needles are inserted via the Venezia applicator, delivering high-dose radiation while sparing organs,” says Prof Sherriff.

Their work aligns with the broader goals of the university and its commitment to advancing health care in the region by ensuring the continued growth of their skills and technology, while applying these skills to improve the possibility of disease control, cure or palliation with quality of life.

Familial breast and ovarian cancer testing

Dr Nerina van der Merwe, a principal medical scientist in the Division of Human Genetics, and colleagues are engaged in breast cancer research. They are involved in translational research using new technologies that, once validated as a first-tier diagnostic test, could revolutionise genetic testing for familial breast and ovarian cancer in South Africa when used in conjunction with genetic counselling. This parallel application is ideally suited for primary hospitals and rural clinics, as it will dramatically increase accessibility and uptake of genetic testing in rural areas.

By performing first-tier genetic testing at a community clinic, patients no longer have to be transported to tertiary hospitals for testing, and more patients and related family members who are unaware of a familial predisposition will be reached. “By warning unaffected related individuals about their potential increased risk, we can play a part in the earlier detection or diagnosis of patients, improving their cancer survival rate,” states Dr Van der Merwe.

Patenting cancer research

Prof Andreas Roodt, a retired Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry, and colleagues – particularly Prof Alice Brink and co-worker Prof Roger Alberto from the University of Zurich – have published widely on the chemistry of radiopharmaceutical models. Since the 2000s, the world has introduced the concept of ‘theranostics,’ which involves the use of a single compound for both cancer detection and therapy. “These compounds contain a radioisotope that provides internal radiation for cancer detection (diagnostic) and a second part for treatment,” explains Prof Roodt.

Their research enables the high-yield preparation of compounds containing multiple isotopes often present in very low concentrations. “This allows combining diagnostic isotopes such as technetium-99m (used in >80% of diagnostic patient studies worldwide) with therapeutic radioisotopes, such as rhenium-186 (used for bone cancer therapy), with ease. Many therapeutic radioisotopes do not have good diagnostic radiation; thus, by combining the two types of radioisotopes in one medicine, the oncologist can now clearly see where the therapeutic part is going and apply more effective treatment,” he says.

News Archive

Winning culture helps Kovsies Tennis team claim ninth gold
2015-12-09


Ruben Kruger of the University of the Free State in action at the 2015 USSA tournament in Cape Town.
Photo: Janine de Kock

A winning culture in the Kovsies Tennis Team, combined with good planning, contributed to the University of the Free State (UFS) USSA success recipe.

This is what Janine Erasmus, one of the team's captains, had to say.

According to her, this is why the UFS were able to handle the pressure of being the favourite so well, and this is what helped her team to achieve a ninth consecutive gold medal in Cape Town on 4 December 2015.

This was the sixth year in a row that the UFS triumphed in the combined USSA format since its inception in 2010. In 2007 and 2008, its Women's team won gold, and in 2009, it was the Men's team.

Erasmus was full of praise for the Kovsie coach, Marnus Kleinhans, and Janine de Kock, manager of KovsieTennis.

“We had a build-up of a few months to the USSA tournament, and they (Kleinhans and De Kock) already knew exactly what to do,” she said.

Erasmus, who won a third gold medal, believes her team had great depth this year.

Four in select squad

Kovsies and Maties played in the USSA Tennis Finals for a fourth consecutive year.

Erasmus and her team beat the Stellenbosch team 7 - 3 on 4 December 2015, after they defeated Tukkies 8 - 0 in their semi-final.

 

Mareli Bojé is one of four tennis players of the University of the Free State included in a 2015 USSA tournament team.
Photo: Janine de Kock

Arné Nel, Cornelius Rall, Duke Munro, and Mareli Bojé are the four Kovsies included in the USSA tournament team.

Nel, the other captain from the UFS, won all his matches for the third successive year. Munro won a gold medal at USSA for the seventh year in a row.

Gold for Table Tennis


Three UFS sports teams made it to the USSA finals, all against Maties. The tennis and men's table tennis teams were both winners, but the Sevens rugby team got stuck.

The Kovsie table tennis team beat Maties 3 - 1 in Kimberley.

Silver for Sevens rugby

The Kovsie Sevens rugby team, third at USSA for the past two years, walked away with silver in George on 1 December 2015.

The team was defeated by Maties 10 - 31 in the final. This was after they won 24 - 14 against Pukke in the semi-final, and 28 - 12 against the Central University of Technology in the quarter final.

Tukkies, the 2014 USSA Sevens champions, together with several other teams, did not take part  because the tournament was postponed because of the nationwide student protests.

The Kovsie swimming team took part in the USSA tournament in Johannesburg from 28 November to 30 November 2015.


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