Welcome to the webpage of the Gynaecological Oncology Unit (GOU) of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Pretoria. As is evident from the postings on this webpage, the GOU is active in clinical service delivery, research and the training of registrars and fellows.

VISION:

To improve the outcomes of women with gynaecologic cancer in South Africa.

AIMS:

• Optimal holistic treatment of all women with gynaecological cancer presenting at any of our clinical service areas.
• Offer excellent training in pelvic surgery skills and the principles of oncological management to registrars and fellows at their respective levels.
• Initiate and perform high quality, locally relevant, research in the field of gynaecologic oncology both individually and in collaborating teams.

CLINICAL SERVICE:

The unit renders a comprehensive multi-disciplinary gynaecological oncology service to the residents in Gauteng and its extensive tertiary referral area. Certain quaternary services are offered to an even larger referral area, including caner genetic counselling and testing as well as ultra-radical surgery. Staging evaluation and surgical treatment of early stage cervical cancer (FIGO stage I-IIA), all stages of endometrial cancer, ovarian caner and vulva caner forms the bulk of the clinical work performed in the unit. Laparoscopic surgery including nodal dissection is also offered to selected patients.

The multidisciplinary service is rendered in co-operation with medical and radiation oncology, anatomical pathology, radiology and nuclear medicine. Selected cases are seen and discussed at the weekly multi-disciplinary oncology clinic.

RESEARCH:

Research is priority in the unit with several research projects currently undertaken by students, fellows and consultants as principal investigators. The research programme is extensive and growing and includes collaboration on national and international levels. Research is done under the auspices if the Women’s Cancer Research Group. Major research focus areas include cervical cancer epidemiology, human papilloma virus oncogenesis, improvement of primary and secondary prevention, diagnosis and management of inherited cancer risk as well as improvements in clinical management strategies of invasive gynaecological cancer.

RESEARCH COLLABORATORS AND SPONSORS:

INSTITUTIONAL:

• Medical Virology
• Anatomical Pathology
• Bio Statistics
• Radiation Oncology
• Medical Oncology
• Cancer Genetics
• National Health Lab Services

NATIONAL:

• Lancet Laboratories
• Vermaak and Partners
• Ampath Lab
• Netcare Hospital group
• University of Stellenbosch./Tygerberg Hospital
• Walter Sisulu University / Dorah Nginza Hospital
• Discovery Health
• CANSA
• MRC
• CSIR

INTERNATIONAL:

• Free University Amsterdam
• Norchip, University of Oslo and Tromso
• Radboud University, Nijmegen
• MSD
• GSK
• Roche
• Qiagen
• BD Oncology
• Cepheid
• Hologic
• Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, India

TRAINING:

The GOU has an active training and academic programme and there are currently several clinical fellows and one research fellow undergoing fellowship training. Surgical training of fellows includes theatre lists in Kalafong and Steve Biko hospitals and workshops in the management of surgical complications done on live animal tissue. Since the inception of the Certificate examination in the subspecialty of Gynaecological oncology, the Unit was responsible for the first successful candidate and has since trained a number of subspecialists, who are currently  practising in Kenia, Belgium, Indonesia, Netherlands, Australia, etc. In addition to fellowship training the Unit provides registrar training and is involved in undergraduate and outreach lectures to general practitioners.

Academic scholarship of the subspecialists and fellows in the Unit attracts a lot of attention with all members actively involved on a national level and as members of the international fraternity and societies. Consultants from the GOU are involved in syllabus, assessment and examination processes for Part I, Part II and subspecialty examinations of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, CMSA. In additions the Southern African Journal of Gynaecologic Oncology was started by Prof Greta Dreyer and the unit is represented by several other members on editorial boards and as peer reviewers for this and other academic journals.

 

OUTREACH ACTIVITIES:

• Dora Nginza, Port Elizabeth – Gynaecology surgery
• Pietermaritzburg hospital – Gynaecology surgery
• JC Coetzee Outreach lectures
• Screening project  - Women’s Cancer Clinic (WCC) Tshwane
• Vaccine follow-up Project – Primary Schools Gauteng
• Vulva warts management; Tshwane district hospital (TDH)
• LLETZ service: WCC and Tshwane district hospital (TDH)

 

CLINCAL ACTIVITIES:

Oncology outpatients clinics	Monday:   Kalafong Tuesday:   SBAH Thursday:  SBAH
Colposcopy and LLETZ clinic	Monday:   Kalafong Tuesday:   SBAH
Theatre Lists	Wednesday:  SBAH & Kalafong Thursdays:     SBAH
Familial Cancer Clinic	Tuesdays
Multidisciplinary Oncology Clinic	Thursday
Monthly Academic Meetings	Thursdays 12:30
Monthly Discussions	Fellows and Registrars – Thursdays 12:30
Colposcopy and LLETZ workshops	Twice yearly
Live Animal Tissue Open surgery   Workshop for Fellows	1-2 Annually
Academic Pre-operative ward rounds	Weekly
Cancer in Pregnancy	Thursdays

 

GYNAECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY STAFF LIST:

CONSULTANTS:

PROF GRETA DREYER                                    HEAD OF GYNAECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY UNIT

DR ARRIE MOUTON                                         CLINICAL HEAD: STEVE BIKO ACADEMIC HOSPITAL

PROF LEON SNYMAN                                      CLINICAL HEAD: KALAFONG TERTIARY HOSPITAL

DR MC VAN AARDT                                          CONSULTANT

DR E BRYANT                                                   CONSULTANT

DR E MNISI                                                       CONSULTANT

 

GYNAECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY FELLOWS/MPHIL STUDENTS:

DR E SAJO                           - CLINICAL FELLOW          (MPHIL AND CERT GYNAE ONC)

DR N RAJOO                        - CLINICAL FELLOW          (MPHIL AND CERT GYNAE ONC)

DR R MNISI                          - CLINICAL FELLOW          (MPHIL AND CERT GYNAE ONC)

DR M MUGWEDE                 -CLINICAL FELLOW           (MPHIL AND CERT GYNAE ONC)

DR A NDOBE                        -CLINICAL FELLOW           (MPHIL AND CERT GYNAE ONC)

DR B UZABAKHIRO             -CLINICAL FELLOW           (MPHIL AND CERT GYNAE ONC)

DR L MOSHOKWA               -CLINICAL FELLOW           (MPHIL AND CERT GYNAE ONC)

DR O GAVI                           -CLINICAL FELLOW           (MPHIL AND CERT GYNAE ONC)

HONORARY APPOINTMENT:

PROF F AMANT                 - HONORARY CONSULTANT

DR D GOVINDA RAJ         - HONORARY RESEARCHER

DR E WETHMAR               - HONARARY LECTURER

 

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF:

MRS RIKA BYLEVELDT                                ADMINISTRATIVE HEAD

                                                                       EMAIL: [email protected]

                                                                       TEL: 012 354 3900

MRS CATHY VISER                                       RESEARCH ADMINISTRATOR

                                                                        EMAIL: [email protected]

MRS MARLENE BORNMANN                       RESEARCH NURSE

MS BERTHA GROND                                    FINANCE OFFICER

 

POTENTIAL AND ACTIVE PHD PROJECTS:

• DR E WETHMAR – CANCER INPREGNANCY
• DR P THELETSANE  – OPTIMAL TREATEMNT OF VULVA CANCER
• DR E MNISI – DIAGNOSIS OF LYMPHNODE DISEASE IN CERVICAL CANCCER
• DR E SAJO – ASPECTS OF CERVICAL CANCER
• DR M MABENGE – ASPECTS OF VULVA CANCER
• DR ROBYN ADAMS – VISUAL INSPECTION IN PRE-CANCER
• D RAMA – CERVICAL CANCER IN BOTSWANA
• MS. D BOLTMAN – NUTRITION STATUS IN CERVICAL CANCER
• DR R PUNCHOO -VITAMIN D IN CERVICAL CANCER

 

Please feel free to contact the departmental administrator for further enquiries. The unit invites interested colleagues to visit us with prior arrangement and will also welcome attendance of our academic and training activities. We have capacity to accommodate an approved local or international fellow who is self-funded for post-graduate training. Interested gynaecologists can contact the unit and must send an abridged curriculum vitae.