Wits University Division of Radiation Oncology

24/08/2025

🌟 Celebrating a Milestone Achievement! 🌟

The Division of Radiation Oncology at Wits University is proud to congratulate Dr Mjabulelwa Zondi on the successful completion of his MMed dissertation and his admission as a Specialist Radiation Oncologist. 🎓✨

This accomplishment marks the culmination of years of dedication, perseverance, and excellence in clinical and academic training. Dr Zondi’s achievement reflects not only his personal commitment but also the spirit of academic mentorship and collaboration within our Division.

Pictured here is Dr Zondi with his MMed supervisor, Dr Faiza Mahomed, whose guidance and support have been instrumental in this journey.

We celebrate this important milestone and look forward to Dr Zondi’s continued contributions to advancing cancer care in South Africa and beyond. 💙💛

21/08/2025

Congratulations, Professor Duvern Ramiah! 🎓

The Wits University Division of Radiation Oncology is proud to celebrate the promotion of our Head of Department, Duvern Ramiah, to the rank of Professor — a distinction richly deserved.

Prof. Ramiah joined the Division in 2021 as Academic Head, arriving from a background that was anything but typical for academia. Trained as a radiation oncologist, he had honed his skills in private practice, completed an MBA at the London Business School, and even ventured into the world of venture capital. On joining Wits, he was not appointed at professorial rank — but what followed has been nothing short of transformative.

In just a few years, he has revitalised a struggling radiation oncology service at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, strengthened and modernised our academic programme, expanded our research output, and fostered a culture of excellence, innovation, and collaboration. His vision, strategic thinking, and commitment to equitable cancer care have elevated the Division to new heights.

Today, we congratulate him on this well-earned recognition by the University.

08/08/2025

🌍 Wits Radiation Oncology at the 8th SNOSSA Congress 🇨🇮

From 22–25 July 2025, the city of Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire hosted the 8th SNOSSA Congress, held in partnership with CAANS and SNCLF – a remarkable gathering under the St Jude Global Sub-Saharan Africa Project.

South Africa was proudly represented by an exceptional group of oncologists and neurosurgeons, showcasing our commitment to advancing neuro-oncology care across the continent.

✨ Pictured:
• Dr Thandeka Ngcane – Paediatric Oncologist, St Jude Neuro-Oncology Fellow
• Dr Dr Thanushree Naidoo Oncology – Lead, Paediatric Radiation Oncology, Wits University
• Dr Shenaaz Bassa – Head of Department, Radiation Oncology, Steve Biko Academic Hospital
• Dr Thurandrie Naiker – Radiation Oncologist, University of Cape Town

🤝 The broader South African delegation joined colleagues from across Africa and beyond for thought-provoking sessions and collaborations:
Prof Llewellyn Padayachee | Ibrahim Quaddoimi (St Jude’s) | Prof Alan Davidson | Prof Jeannette Parkes (UCT) | Prof Daniel Indelicato (Florida) | Dr Kristen Schouder (Tanzania & USA) – alongside Zimbabwean representation.

This congress provided an invaluable platform to share innovations, strengthen networks, and unite in our mission to improve neuro-oncology care for patients in sub-Saharan Africa.

📸 A wonderful mix of academic exchange, shared purpose, and African hospitality – here’s to building the future of neuro-oncology together!

03/08/2025

🧠 Radiotherapy Decision-Making: Still an Art as Much as a Science

We’re proud to share a newly published international consensus article in Radiotherapy & Oncology—featuring our Head of Department Duvern Ramiah- on one of the most debated areas in breast cancer treatment: regional nodal irradiation (RNI) after a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy.

Titled “What guides regional nodal irradiation in node-positive breast cancer following upfront sentinel lymph node biopsy?”, the paper brings together leading experts from around the world to evaluate how radiation oncologists decide whether—and how—to treat the axilla with radiotherapy. The findings reveal a striking truth: even among global experts, consensus is elusive. For many patients, especially those with intermediate-risk disease, treatment approaches vary widely depending on the clinician’s interpretation of multiple clinical factors.

This variability underscores an important point: radiotherapy decision-making is incredibly nuanced, and guidelines often leave room for interpretation. It is precisely why continued research, like that conducted at Wits Radiation Oncology, is essential—to refine our understanding, reduce uncertainty, and ultimately improve outcomes for our patients.

We are proud to see our department contributing to work of global relevance, and we remain committed to leading evidence-based, patient-centered cancer care in South Africa and beyond.

Due to many randomised studies investigating different risk factors that do not always coincide, breast cancer experts rely on a wide variety of criteria to recommend RNI for pN1(sn) breast cancer, leading to heterogeneity in decision-making. With this work we aim to raise awareness of this challeng...

26/07/2025

We are proud to share that our Head of Department,Duvern Ramiah, has been appointed to the Ministerial Advisory Committee on the Prevention and Control of Cancer by the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.

This prestigious appointment is a testament to his tireless commitment to equitable cancer care, and to the strides made by the Division of Radiation Oncology at Wits University and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital in improving cancer treatment and outcomes in South Africa.

We are confident that his voice on this national platform will reflect the same vision and values that drive our work every day: innovation, inclusivity, and the highest standards of care for all.

We wish our HOD every success as he helps shape the future of cancer prevention and control in our country. 🇿🇦

17/07/2025

🎓 Celebrating Our New Radiation Oncologists! 🎓

At the Wits Division of Radiation Oncology, our mission goes beyond delivering life-saving cancer treatment — we’re also at the forefront of cutting-edge research and dedicated to training the next generation of specialists in this vital field.

We’re incredibly proud to introduce our newest qualified Radiation Oncologists:
Dr Tshepiso Choma
Dr Bessy Thomas
Dr Gal Feller

Your hard work, perseverance, and commitment to excellence inspire us all. Congratulations on this major milestone — the future of oncology is brighter with you in it! 🌟

16/07/2025

We are proud to celebrate Dr Tshepiso Choma, one of our consultant radiation oncologists at Wits Radiation Oncology, who recently participated in the Global Health Fellowship Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

This prestigious program brings together emerging global health leaders from around the world to build capacity, share knowledge, and collaborate on innovative solutions in cancer care. Dr Choma had the opportunity to engage with leading oncology experts and experience cutting-edge technologies such as proton therapy at Penn Medicine’s Roberts Proton Therapy Center.

We are excited to see Wits Oncology contributing to and learning from the global oncology community.

16/07/2025

We are proud to share that Dr Pearl Mphahlele, one of our senior registrars at Wits Radiation Oncology, recently participated in the Clinical Investigators Training Program (CITP) hosted by Aga Khan University in Nairobi, Kenya.

The program, organised in collaboration with the International Cancer Foundation and ESMO, is designed to empower emerging oncology leaders across Africa with essential skills in clinical research and global oncology collaboration.

We are delighted to see our registrars representing Wits on international platforms, growing as clinician-scientists, and helping to bridge the global gap in cancer care.

Congratulations, Dr Mphahlele!

12/07/2025

We’re proud to celebrate two of our own!

Our Consultant Dr Muhammad Bapeekee and Senior Registrar Dr Oluwatosin Ayeni recently were invited yo present at the prestigious ESMO Oesophagus Cancer Preceptorship in Nairobi, Kenya.

Their presentations reflect not just academic excellence, but a deep commitment to advancing global cancer care. We are confident that both shared and gained valuable insights that will benefit patients across borders.

Well done, Dr Bapeekee and Dr Ayeni — flying the Wits Radiation Oncolgy flag high!

01/06/2025

📚 Justice, Dignity, and the Power of Care 🔬⚖️

We are honoured to be featured in Behind Prison Walls: Unlocking a Safer South Africa, the powerful new book by retired Justice Edwin Cameron, with co-authors Rebecca Gore and Sohela Surajpal. The book, which calls for urgent reform in South Africa’s prison system, highlights a case that speaks directly to our mission: closing the gap in access to life-saving cancer care—no matter who you are or where you are.

In a harrowing account, a woman with cervical cancer—incarcerated and untreated—was finally able to receive urgent care after intervention by the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS). Our Head of Department, Duvern Ramiah, responded without hesitation, ensuring she got the treatment she needed at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.

This moment, now immortalised in the pages of Justice Cameron’s book, is a poignant reminder: Access to healthcare is a human right. And for our team, every patient matters—beyond prison walls, beyond circumstance.

✨ We are proud to stand at the intersection of clinical excellence, social justice, and human compassion.

26/05/2025

A touch of international brilliance at our department today!
We were thrilled to welcome Laurence Court and Tucker Netherton, medical physicists from the world-renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center, along with Beth Beedle a radiation oncologist from Stanford University Radiation Oncology. Together, they shared insights into their cutting-edge innovation—the Radiotherapy Planning Assistant (RPA).

A big thank you to our distinguished guests for inspiring discussions and for showcasing how technology can help transform access to high-quality radiotherapy around the world.🌍💡💻

11/05/2025

In 2023, the team at Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS "Fondazione G. Pascale" experienced a dramatic boost in productivity with the acquisition of Elekta Studio, ImagingRing.

“By removing the need to transport patients for a CT, procedure times have decreased by 40 to 60 minutes, which minimizes any patient discomfort related to the applicator or maintaining the treatment position,” says radiation oncologist Dr. Eva Iannacone.

Read how it enables interventional radiation oncologists to image, plan, adapt and treat brachytherapy patients in a single dedicated room ➡️ https://bit.ly/4jQkOqz