Sipokazi Fokazi

ANNEKE Landman of Stellenbosch was 37 when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer – the notorious and difficult-to-treat HER2 positive.

“As with any cancer diagnosis, it came as a shock. One minute you’re just getting that tiny lump checked out, the next you’re facing a deluge of medical terminology, treatment plans, chemotherapy side-effects and life-changing decision-making,” she remembers.

Discovered by self-examinationthree years ago, her tumour was initially misdiagnosed by needle biopsy as a benign fat necrosis, which is often due to injury or trauma.

Landman, who now works as health coach and a yoga teacher, was given a choice: leave it or remove it.

She chose to leave it for a while, but had it removed after four months following excessive growth. It was only after her surgery that she found out how aggressive it was.

“I went back to have my stitches taken out and the doctor told me I had a very aggressive form of oestrogen positive breast cancer. I started laughing because until that moment I’d always believed my body was bullet-proof. I was active – sporty and fit. I remember driving home and having to stop the car because I was crying. You think it will never happen to you,” she said.

Landman is using her cancer journey to empower other cancer survivors.

Not only is she healthier, happier, more physically fit and emotionally stronger than ever before, following successful cancer treatment, but she is using her health coaching practise – which integrates mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) methods, yoga and phytotherapy (herbalism) – to give her clients a holistic experience of “body, mind and soul”.

She has also committed to studying with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York, and getting her diploma in Phytotheraphy from the College of Phytotherapy in East STILL SMILING: Anneke Landman after her cancer treatment, above, and during it, below. She is using her cancer journey to empower other cancer survivors through holistic health, following successful cancer treatment. Above right, Landman at the fertility clinic.

having kids was quite a blow and makes the choice of treatment hard for young women,” she said.

For six months she had to take different treatments of chemotherapy, which left her with hair loss, nausea, and weight loss.

Landman considers herself lucky as she is one of the few women in South Africa to be treated with Herceptin (trastuzumab) – a biologic drug that targets HER2 positive breast cancer.

Many women in South Africa who need trastuzumab cannot access it due to the high price: which is about R500 000 a year.

Its manufacturer Roche has been criticised by lobby groups such as Advocates for Breast Cancer, the Cancer Alliance, the Cancer Association of South Africa and Doctors Without Borders, who have alleged that the pharmaceutical company is blocking access to the drug and cheaper biosimilars from being sold here until 2033.

Not only did the Competition Commission deem the cost “excessive pricing”, but the price of biologics and new cancer drugs is regarded to be such a global burden that the UN had set up a panel – which includes South Africa’s Department of Health – to investigate.

Landman, who has been free of cancer for a year, admits her negative perceptions of cancer treatment changed along the way – thanks to supportive medical staff who managed her treatment at Panorama Oncology Centre (CancerCare).

She says scary names given to chemotherapy such as “red devil” – a name given to the Adriamycin and Cytoxan chemotherapy cocktail mix because it of its colour and toxicity – left her terrified initially, but the reality was different

She has had a double mastectomy following successful treatment to avoid possibly getting cancer in the remaining breast.

But even more crucial for her were the drastic lifestyle changes she has made, such as eating clean and organic foods, which helped her body cope better with the onslaught of cancer treatment.

“What you put into your system makes a big difference. I stopped drinking alcohol, stayed away from bad foods and listened to what my body wanted. I also cut down on stress. It’s a massive cause of inflammation and I believe it’s important to take a step back, look at your life and add the things that bring you joy. Simplify your life.”

Even though she believes cancer can be devastating, Landman says one can use this time to “change and reflect” on life in general.

“Pay attention to what you put into your system, make the right lifestyle changes, and approach your treatment and future with positivity. Most importantly, listen to your body and cut down on stress.”

Dr Rika Pienaar, clinical and radiation oncologist at CancerCare says although the diagnosis of breast cancer can be difficult for women of all ages, younger women struggled even more.

“They often have more challenges such as young children and fulltime work obligations.

‘They stress about the impact of this disease on their fertility, their sexual behaviour and financial burdens. Therefore, young breast cancer patients need extra and exceptional support.”