SA stars battling cancer

Vuyile Madwantsi

Many local celebrities have battled cancer and survived, and some have used their experiences to make a positive impact

ACCORDING to a study conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers, the incidence of early-onset malignancies, such as breast, colon, oesophagus, kidney, liver, lung, and pancreatic, has substantially increased around the world, beginning in about 1990.

Diets evolve throughout time due to factors such as changes in food availability, food costs, and income. Over time, our conventional balanced diets have given way to those characterised by low carbohydrate, fibre, fruit, and vegetable intake and high levels of processed sugars and trans fats.

This change, combined with genetics and the general tendency towards sedentary lifestyles and poor levels of physical exercise, is a contributing factor to the risk of developing chronic diseases.

The World Health Organization has dubbed cancer a global health pandemic, second to coronavirus. Cancer alone is the cause of 10% of deaths in South Africa.

Many South African celebrities have battled cancer and survived, and some have used their experiences to make a positive impact on the world.

Celebrities who have battled cancer:

Zoleka Mandela

Activist and granddaughter of anti-apartheid icons Nelson and Winnie Mandela, beat breast cancer twice.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, and following therapy, she went into remission, but the cancer returned in 2016. She received additional treatment and was once again in remission.

In August 2022, she shared a gutwrenching post on her Instagram feed regarding her battle with cancer, which continues to this day. Her cancer metastasized to her bones, and this time, she might not make it, wrote Zoleka.

ZOLEKA Mandela, activist and granddaughter of South Africa’s antiapartheid icons, Nelson and Winnie Mandela, beat breast cancer twice. | TIRO RAMATLHATSE

Mark Pilgrim

A well-known face and voice among South African audiences, he has a long and agonising history with cancer, diagnosed with testicular cancer at just the tender age of 18. Regrettably, by the time he was diagnosed, it had progressed to stage 4 and had spread to his lungs and kidney, and Pilgrim was forced to have one testicle removed, but after months of gruelling treatments, he went into remission.

In February 2022, Pilgrim revealed he had stage 4 cancer. In June, he revealed it had spread to his femur, the base of his spine, and his lymph nodes. And since then, he has been in and out of the hospital for treatments, defying all odds.

Mbali Maphumulo

Mbali Maphumulo, noted for her roles in soap operas such as The Wild, Uzalo and Isibaya, is a two-time breast cancer survivor.

In 2001, she was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time. She received treatment and was in remission for four years before the cancer flared up again in 2005.

She had a double mastectomy and has since been in remission.

ISIBAYA actress Mbali Maphumulo, battled breast cancer not only once, but twice.

Dr Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha

In 2020, the renowned actor, notable for many roles in the South African film industry, was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Following three weeks of treatment, the physicians notified him that all of his cancer symptoms had gone and he was in remission.

The most prevalent cancer in males is prostate cancer, which is defined as a malignant tumour that originates in the prostate gland. Because it grows slowly in general, it may not present symptoms or difficulties for many years.

DR JERRY Mofokeng wa Makhetha. | Facebook

Fatima Sydow

The journey of Cape Malay cooking doyenne Fatima Sydow was so striking that she decided to self-publish it in several popular cook books.

In 2020, she was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma after finding it in her left foot. Following treatments, the Cape author is now in remission.