Every year in June, Eurolab joins the world in celebrating Cancer Survivors Month. This is one of the most important months in the cancer awareness calendar. It speaks to the importance of screening and early detection, the vital role that oncologists and their healthcare teams play in treating cancer patients, and the courage that cancer patients show in facing their cancer and enduring their treatment.

To observe this important health awareness month, first and foremost, Eurolab honours each and every cancer patient that has survived their cancer. Secondly, it is an opportunity to reflect on the ground-breaking work of scientists and researchers who find new therapies and better treatments for cancer all the time. Last but not least, without clinicians and their medical staff, especially nurses, who work tirelessly to improve the outcomes of cancer patients, there would be no cause for celebration.

Cancer survivors

A cancer diagnosis is challenging for every patient, their friends and family. Cancer Survivors Month is ultimately about those who have survived their cancer and tackled their illness with strength, courage and perseverance.

Cancer survivors who have walked the cancer journey often become spokespeople and advocates for other cancer patients. They often support those who are newly diagnosed, frightened and left with many questions about their future. Eurolab salutes these advocates who support cancer patients and play a pivotal role in raising awareness about cancer and educating the public about the importance of screening and early detection.

Financial implications of cancer treatment

It is a common misconception that after a patient has beaten cancer, their world returns to normal. In reality, the situation is different. A cancer diagnosis takes its toll, not only physically and emotionally, but also financially. Treatments for cancer are notoriously costly and result in heavy financial burdens for patients and their families. Researchers have referred to this as ‘financial toxicity’.

Driving down the cost of cancer treatment

Eurolab was founded over ten years ago to drive down the cost of cancer treatment. In 2011, we recognised that the costs involved with treating cancer can be crippling and set about finding a solution to ease the financial burden that cancer places on patients and their families. This is still the driving force of our business today.

Eurolab remains steadfast in its commitment to keeping the costs of treatment as low as possible by offering high quality generic medicine options to oncologists and their patients.

We strive to ensure that our products are competitively priced to increase access to treatment, improve outcomes and celebrate cancer survivors.

In the month of June, Eurolab salutes all cancer survivors and the people in their support networks who have eased their journey, from diagnosis through treatment.

The devastation of receiving a diagnosis of a dreaded disease cannot be downplayed. Neither should it be. When a cancer patient responds to treatment, and returns to a full productive life, it is a reason to celebrate.

Eurolab encourages all cancer survivors to use the month of June to celebrate their recovery. If you are a survivor, share your story and be proud of what you went through, and where you are today.

If you are a friend or a loved one of a cancer survivor, Eurolab thanks you for the role you played in offering your friend or partner the support they needed.

To all cancer survivors: May you not only continue to survive, but to thrive!

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The CEO of one of South Africa’s leading oncology companies, Eurolab, has been recognised internationally for her clear vision on what the future of cancer treatment in South Africa (SA) should look like. Lynne du Toit was selected out of seven CEOs of pharmaceutical companies from across the globe who had been shortlisted for the CPhI Excellence in Pharma: CEO of the Year Award. Judges on the Congress of Pharmaceutical Ingredients (CPhI) Worldwide award panel also selected her for her bold, forward-looking leadership, dynamism and contribution to the wider industry.

Speaking at the awards ceremony in Milan, Italy, last week, du Toit, said, “I dedicate this award to my hard-working team at Eurolab in South Africa; to scientists and developers who advance cancer treatment to improve outcomes for cancer patients; to cancer patients in SA and across the world; to oncologists and healthcare workers who care for these patients; and also to all women CEOs who have had to balance family and work commitments to get ahead.”

Du Toit’s career began in nursing and midwifery. She entered the corporate world in the 1980s as a ‘rep’. “Back then, pharma reps were mostly women and the management teams primarily men. Women have had to apply themselves smartly and carefully juggle family and professional demands to hold their own and show their grit alongside their male executives,” she says.

Together with Gabe Simaan, Chairman of the Eurolab group, Lynne has built Eurolab from the ground up into a leading oncology company that today, through its five divisions, offers an integrated, whole-of cancer-solution to oncologists and their patients. Lowering the costs of cancer medicine, making treatment more accessible and more affordable, and bringing solutions previously only available abroad into SA have underpinned her vision for the company. It is a vision that du Toit has realised and continues to pursue.

Eurolab was founded in 2011 as a generic oncology medicine company to make cancer treatment more affordable for South Africans. Today it has a medicine portfolio of over 30 products, and with the introduction of each new drug over the past decade, more patients have received cancer treatment at a more affordable price.

Du Toit says, “By 2018, Eurolab had driven the price patients were paying for chemotherapy down by over 50%, while the rest of the market experienced an average increase of over 30%. The financial burden of cancer remains one of the biggest challenges for families who are experiencing this disease, and Eurolab is proud that today, patients are required to pay less than half of what they had to pay for oncology medicine in 2010.”

Du Toit says that the Eurolab journey is far from over. “We are working tirelessly on widening access to innovative treatments, solutions and collaborations to strengthen the oncology response in SA in the face of the growing incidence of cancer.”

The CPhI Pharma Awards have been committed to recognising excellence in pharma since 2003.

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Eurolab is committed to keeping its staff and stakeholders up to date with accurate information about the Coronavirus pandemic. Our primary source of information is the South African government’s Coronavirus portal which houses the latest media statements, resources for employers and organisations to share with their teams and information on the spread of the virus, hotspot areas, number of infections etc. There is a lot of misinformation that is circulating which only curtails the country’s efforts to curb the spread manage the pandemic. We commend our Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, for his leadership during this pandemic and look forward to the rollout of more COVID-19 vaccines.

Supporting staff to ensure uninterrupted operations

When the pandemic hit South Africa in March last year, we responded quickly. Our staff were provided with the resources they needed to work effectively from home, and as platforms like Zoom and Teams quickly emerged, we were able to manage our teams and operations effectively. In achieving this, we were able to support oncologists and their cancer patients amidst a lot of fear and uncertainty.

Throughout the pandemic, Eurolab has continued to introduce new cancer medicines into its product portfolio. We secured licenses for our sales reps to visit oncologists, duties they performed with diligence to ensure everyone’s safety. Practices were contacted in advance, and as many open-air engagements as possible were arranged. In addition, our and reps were tested for COVID-19 every second week.

With our teams now back at work, rigorous safety protocols are in place across our operations.

Cancer patients more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection

It was concerning to the Eurolab team that those more vulnerable to COVID-19 included cancer patients. We took action by providing masks and sanitisers to the practices of our trusted oncologists and joined forces with Spar to distribute care packs to cancer patients in need. The packs included sanitisers, masks, food items and toiletries.

Helping young cancer patients in public facilities

We also teamed up with Rainbows and Smiles to help healthcare workers spoil their young cancer patients with special treats. Food parcels were donated to paediatric oncology wards at several hospitals including the Steve Biko Academic Hospital, the George Mukhari (Ga-Rankuwa) Hospital, the Unitas Hospital and the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital.

Ramping up COVID-19 testing

Our oncology and haematology testing facility, Oncolab, expanded its specialised testing services to include COVID-19 testing for cancer patients and staff working in oncology practices. To alleviate the pressure on public and private laboratories, Oncolab has launched two drive-through COVID-19 testing facilities at its operations based at Midstream Medical Centre.

Gamma Knife South Africa

Strictly observing all safety protocols, the specialist Gamma Knife South Africa team at Netcare’s Milpark Hospital continued to treat patients suffering from diseases or abnormalities in and around the brain throughout the pandemic. The Gamma Knife is a less invasive alternative to microsurgery and treatments are completed in a single day without the need for hospitalisation.

Aseptic Services Unit (ASU)

Meanwhile, our ASU team in Midrand, Johannesburg, ensured the facility was ready to support public health departments and hospitals with the provision of quality-assured chemotherapy for cancer patients in rural and peri-urban areas. Testing and stability studies were conducted at the facility to maintain its South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA)-approved standards. This world class sterile Admixing facility centrally mixes chemotherapy bags with extended stability, and aims to safely deliver pre-mixed bags to treatment centres. Our goal is to support cancer patients in remote areas and minimise costly and exhausting travel to larger hospitals, where waiting periods can be long. For healthcare workers, The ASU makes for seamless administration of patient chemotherapy.

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No short cuts, no substitute for hard work

 Lynne Du Toit, CEO of Eurolab and one of the few women leaders in South Africa’s pharmaceutical industry, shares her story about building her career in the face of the whirlwind of work demands and family responsibilities. 

After qualifying as a Registered Nurse in 1980 and then enrolling for a further year to qualify as a midwife, I worked in a predominantly all-women environment where the trainee doctors and academic professors were mostly men.

I entered the corporate world as a medical rep in the early 1980s, and the situation was much the same – medical reps were mostly women and the management teams primarily men!

I realise that much of this had to do with the added roles and responsibilities that many women take on as wife, housekeeper and mother while growing a family. Men, on the other hand, retain the roles of provider and breadwinner.

40 years on – more women in more senior positions 

How the tables have turned over the four decades that I have worked in the medical industry! More and more women are rising into more senior positions, and I salute every one of them – especially the women I have the privilege of working with at Eurolab every day.

My current position has also afforded me the honour of getting to know like-minded women in both professional and corporate capacities. They keep me humble, and at the same time, they inspire me to be the best that I can be in every sphere of life.

No substitute for hard work, commitment and dedication

For both men and women, there is no substitute for hard work, commitment and dedication. There are very few instant success stories on the same level as winning the lotto! This is simply not reality.

What is reality, however, is that as you enter your career, as a woman, you will most likely still want to get married and have a family. You will still be the one who goes through pregnancy and stays at home weaning a new-born. Then, depending on what drives you, you will either be back at work after four months or you will try something new to give you the flexibility you might want in order to raise your growing family.

The risk here is that when you re-enter the corporate environment, many of the middle-to-top positions will have been taken up by the ambitious and aspirant men in the organisation.

Add this to longer hours, more travel to build relationships with customers and increase your knowledge in your field, conferences and strategy sessions which often go on long into the night and sometimes over weekends. Many women will drop out at this point if they don’t have a stable support network at home or through guilt.

Giving my all in each moment

I have had so many conversations with myself and with God about whether I would make it through this whirlwind of work demands and family responsibilities. Still, most often I would come out of these ongoing debates in my head and heart, without a clear answer, but with an earnest desire to put one foot in front of the other and give my all in the moment I was in, whether that was at work or at home.

Do I have regrets? Plenty! Mostly for the moments that I missed during my children’s growing years. Corporate companies did not see any ‘behind the scenes’ – you were an employee (man or woman), and you were tasked and measured against the results you produced.

And when you are an over-achiever (nowadays referred to as OCD), you cannot rest until the results are in. During the early years of building my career, using early mornings (2am to 4am) to catch up and plan was commonplace. This included studying, strategising sales, completing marketing assignments as well as planning school lifts, meals, uniforms, activities, care givers and camp preparation for my children while I was away.

There is just no short cut or way around it – and then, when the tea was placed on the boardroom table it was sometimes expected that, as the only woman in the room, I would be responsible to ‘serve’.

Words of women for younger women wanting to pursue a career in the medical and pharmaceutical industries

The advice I have for younger women wanting to enter and achieve in the medical industry is:

• Decide on your motivation – is it to provide the best for your children; money and possessions; power and position; personal achievement?
• Decide on your goals – is it middle management, senior management, executive level or shareholder level?
• Know that there will be sacrifices to be made almost every day, mostly of your time and resources, and some will be very difficult.
• Know that there will be obstacles requiring all of your strength and some of these will be insurmountable.
• Know that failures will happen along the way and you will make the wrong choices.
• Know that you will be in a constant battle with male colleagues for the ‘top spot’ and office politics will be rife.
• Involve your family and children wherever you can in your decisions – especially when it concerns or affects them.
• Always have a good back-up or support system that you can rely on.
• Teach your children good values, morals and ethics – in my case Christian values.
• Find happiness and joy in your work and your achievements – love what you do!
• Aim to always do things better than yesterday!

Eurolab – encouraging growth at every level

At Eurolab we have created opportunity for those who want to succeed – men or women. We have provided equal opportunities based on a person’s skills, attitude and aptitude for a particular job – and have encouraged growth at every level. We involve as many of our staff in as many areas of the business as possible. Whether it be developing new strategies, marketing campaigns, new business ventures – we believe in teaching what we have learnt over the years to the next generation and empowering them to rise up to take the business to the next new and exciting level. We believe in giving them responsibility and allowing them to make mistakes and learn from them; we encourage them to share new ideas and mostly we encourage our staff to be involved in problem solving and come up with solutions.

The challenges facing women in business are enormous because of our emotional attachments – but stay humble, pray, listen and think before you speak, learn as much as you can about your business, its products, your customers and their needs and the people you work with both above and below you in order to get the best out of them to make your company successful!

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Speaking ahead of International Brain Tumour Awareness Week which runs from 26 October to 2 November every year, Eurolab Group CEO, Lynne du Toit, says, “Gamma Knife machines are found in leading hospitals across the world. South Africa now has one machine, but too few people have access to it. We are working hard to fix this – building understanding amongst medical schemes about the benefits of radiosurgery treatment and talking to the public sector about how their patients can gain access to the Gamma Knife.”

Dr. Maurizio Zorio, a neurosurgeon at Milpark and one of the directors of Gamma Knife South Africa, says, “Our radiosurgery unit is a hub of excellence. We are dedicated to brain work. For patients, the treatment is easier, quicker and has fewer side effects than other older treatments.

“Radiosurgery first became widely accepted because of its success with metastatic tumors – tumors that develop in the brain due to cancer that has spread from other parts of the body. But the Gamma Knife treats many other brain conditions as well. Our unit here has treated approximately 30 different kinds of benign and malignant head pathologies since the Gamma Knife was installed.”

The patients treated to date are mostly from Johannesburg and surrounds but also from

Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein and Pretoria East where special terminals have been installed. In these remote centres, the patient’s medical teams do the planning for the Gamma Knife surgery and the patient then travels to Milpark where the Gamma Knife team conducts the radiosurgery.

The Gamma Knife is in fact not a knife and radiosurgery does not involve any incisions. It replaces the surgeon’s scalpel with up to 192 narrow beams of radiation, generated from radioactive cobalt and targeted to pre-determined designated areas in the brain.

It is non-invasive and does not harm the surrounding healthy tissue.

Radiosurgery is being used across the world to control malignant and non-malignant tumors, as well as vascular and functional disorders in the brain. Despite the surgery involving delicate brain tissue, patients are typically in and out of the hospital in a day or two. Treatment can also be done in an outpatient setting which means most patients can go home on the same day.

This game-changing machine is referred to as the gold standard of intracranial radiosurgery because of its perfect precision and good patient outcomes.

• Radiation oncologist at Milpark, Dr. Chris Jordaan, says, “As well as metastasis where we have achieved local control in 90% of cases, we have also had a lot of success with:
• Meningioma – a tumor that forms on membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord just inside the skull which is often not accessible with traditional surgery.
• Pituitary adenoma – a tumor that occurs in the pituitary gland which we can’t remove with traditional surgery. Here, the Gamma Knife also prevents regrowth in about 95% of patients. If the tumor secretes hormones, we can control this in about 70% of cases.
• Acoustic neuroma (or vestibular schwannoma) – a non-cancerous slow-growing tumor that develops on the main nerve leading from the inner ear to the brain which directly influences balance and hearing and can cause hearing loss. In the past, surgeons were reluctant to operate because of the risk of deafness, but the Gamma Knife has changed this.
• Trigeminal neuralgia – a chronic pain disorder that affects the trigeminal nerve. A high dose of radiotherapy directed right onto the nerve has achieved and sustained pain control in the majority of cases.

Jordaan adds that “We have also seen rarer tumours such as Glomus jugulare and Craniopharyngiomas where we have achieved a 90% control rate using the Gamma Knife. Malignant melanomas in the eye have also responded extremely well to radiosurgery.”

Dr Zorio explains that the Gamma Knife can also be used for functional neurosurgery to help patients with issues such as Parkinson’s disease and tremors. “In these instances, however, the three-person core team must expand to include a larger multidisciplinary team made up of a neurologist, a neuropsychiatrist and others. Conditions like epilepsy that have not responded to other treatment are also being considered for Gamma Knife radiosurgery.

“But, we have to be led by the science. We are not a clinical trial site, but a specialised treatment site. Other centres have big volumes of patients, are doing thousands of cases and are involved in clinical trials. We can only work on what has been proven by science.”

Dr Jordaan adds that worldwide, the epidemiology of these tumors remains poorly understood. “Data that Gamma Knife SA is collecting data will be used together with that obtained at other centres across the world to better understand brain cancers and diseases,” he says.

The first Gamma Knife was developed in 1967 by Lars Leksell, a Swedish physician and professor of neurosurgery. Today’s Gamma Knife is based on the original prototype but has benefited from more than 40 years of advancements in engineering, radiation physics, and computer imaging technology.

The team required for radiosurgery is made up of an experienced neurosurgeon, who works closely with a radiation oncologist specialising in therapeutic procedures involving radiant energy to control cancer, and a medical physicist or biophysicist. The physicist works with the doctors in dose delivery planning and also tests the Gamma Knife’s mechanical functions, verifies that the imaging and treatment planning computers are working and ensures the software is in order.  The Gamma Knife itself consists of the radiation unit, the beam-focusing technology, the patient couch, an electric bed system, the control console, the frame for the patient’s head and the planning computer system.

ENDS

The post Gamma Knife successes give hope to South Africans with brain diseases, cancers and abnormalities first appeared on Eurolab.

Focusing on good nutrition is as important when you’re battling the disease, as your body needs all the help it can get to support your treatment regime, while avoiding the likes of malnutrition, anorexia and cachexia that can result from poor nutrition. 

“Cancer patients often experience appetite loss as they proceed through treatment protocols, or their tumour may impact their ability to swallow or digest food and absorb nutrients,” explains Lynne du Toit, group CEO at Eurolab, a leading South African producer and distributor of generic cancer treatment products. 

“Many treatments affect taste and smell too, which further impacts appetite loss. Mouth ulcers, nausea and diarrhoea are very common in patients undergoing treatment for various forms of cancer,” she adds. 

An inability to eat or properly digest food leads to malnutrition, which negatively impacts a patient’s quality of life and can also lead to higher rates of readmission to hospital, or longer hospital stays. It can also reduce their response to treatment, and in the long term, their survival. 

Improving nutrition is one of the most important ways to fight cancer and should start by working closely with a dietician or nutritionist, who can recommend the best possible combinations of proteins, carbohydrates and other essential nutrients. It’s vital that you choose pasteurised drinks and that you wash your fresh fruit and vegetables well before eating, as you may be more susceptible to infections and food-borne illnesses during treatment. 

Other top tips for eating well during cancer treatment include: 

• Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruits
• Choose lean proteins. Red meats can taste metallic, so chicken, turkey or fish are often more palatable to cancer patients
• Pasteurised full-fat milk, with or without protein powder supplements, contains high calories and protein, if you don’t feel like solid protein
• Avoid raw seafood such as sushi or uncooked oysters, or raw nuts
• Have a leafy salad whenever you can, unless you’ve been told to avoid raw foods
• Avoid rich and spicy  flavours – plain food is easier to digest
• Choose whole grain breads and cereals
• Clear broths or strained soups are a great way to receive nourishment and nutrients for patients struggling to chew
• If you struggle with  big meals, rather have smaller portions, more often 
• Eat regularly – even if it’s just a small snack – to maintain energy levels
• Don’t use vitamin supplements unless prescribed by your oncologist  

“It’s important to try and build your immune system as much as possible before having any surgery or starting treatment,” du Toit cautions. “There is simply no substitute for a well-balanced diet. Fresh fruit and vegetables, adequate portions, and plenty of water to keep you hydrated throughout your treatment is essential.”

“Having a dietician travel this journey with you, to help you plan your meals taking your own particular preferences and needs into consideration, will go a long way to providing optimum nutrition and supporting your body on its journey back to health.”

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According to the South African Head and Neck Oncology Society (SAHNOS), head and neck cancers represent 5% of all cancers in South Africa. Whilst this number may seem small, a study by the South African Medical Research Council in South Africa, predicts cancer cases are estimated to rise to 1 056 000 by the year 2020. In addition, overall survival of head and neck cancers has not improved, as these tumours spread easily. 

Since launching in 2017, the Leksell Gamma Knife Icon (Gamma Knife) radiosurgery technology at Netcare Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg has helped more than 148 patients requiring treatment for brain, head or neck tumors. 

The cutting-edge, less-invasive technology is a first for the Southern Hemisphere and fourth globally, and was introduced to South Africa by Gamma Knife SA – – a collaboration between Eurolab, a local market-leading oncology company and Netcare, South Africa’s largest private hospital group.  

The Gamma Knife delivers exceptional precision and accuracy, using 192 radiation beams generated which are targeted to a specific area, affected by a tumour. Its ability to focus on an exact target ensures that the risk of the inaccuracies and radiation affecting healthy tissue are minimal. 

Lynne du Toit, CEO of Eurolab, says the Gamma Knife places South Africa on the map to providing patients with the benefits of a less surgically-invasive treatment, which has already treated over one million patients around the world, and makes cancer treatment more affordable to South Africans. 

“This world-class technology has already started changing the lives of South Africans living with cancer, and it is these patients that drive everything we do at Eurolab,” says du Toit. “Our whole-of-cancer approach focuses on the patient, their health, and relieving their financial stress, during and after their life-threatening illness.” 

In comparison to traditional radiation approaches, the benefits to Gamma Knife treatment are substantial. The treatment spares surrounding healthy tissue and provides higher and more effective treatment doses in fewer sessions resulting in reduced patient recovery time. 

A patient’s individual Gamma Knife treatment plan is formulated by a specialised team of doctors and is usually completed in a few hours, with little to no side effects. 

“With high costs associated to travelling abroad, South African patients no longer have to travel overseas to receive this advanced radiosurgery treatment. Eurolab offers an uncompromising commitment to our whole-of-cancer approach, including investing in bringing the Gamma Knife to South Africa, in partnership with Netcare,” says du Toit. 

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