Oncologist etches her name in history books

As a young doctor doing community service, Louisa Dlamini had seen it all. But nothing could have prepared her for the queue of cancer patients, clinging to the hope of getting treatment after waiting for months.

That day at Jubilee Hospital in Hammanskraal, Pretoria, in 2018, stirred something deep in her and it ceased to be just another day on duty. It was the beginning of her calling.

Dlamini decided she wanted to help cancer patients, and today the 36-year-old Mabopane woman is a trailblazer in the treatment for cancer after  graduating with a master’s of medicine in radiation oncology from the University of Pretoria.

The sight of those heartbreakingly long queues did not just move her; they lit a fire. A mission was born. One that would see her rise, study relentlessly, and commit to building a future where no one has to wait in pain in a long queue to get treated.

“Cancer is not a nice disease,” Dlamini said. “It’s a very slow, painful death and seeing patients suffer like that piqued my curiosity and compassion. I knew something needed to be done, and to make a difference is to be part of the solution.

“I realised that there are a lot of people who were delayed in receiving cancer treatment or [not yet] diagnosed, and that is when I decided to take the route of oncology because there is a significant need in the country.”

Dlamini’s work today involves diagnosing cancer, identifying exactly where it is in the body, killing it through radiation – where possible – administering chemotherapy, and creating long-term treatment plans for her patients. She said she is not just treating people; she is offering them hope.

“I want to help as many patients as possible,” she said. “I know I cannot help everyone, especially with the limited resources we have. But we [doctors and the department of health] have made progress over the years. Still, there is a lot more that needs to be done, especially in improving access to treatment.”

While studying for her medicine degree, Dlamini knew she later wanted to specialise.

And though the odds were stacked against her, she was motivated to study hard. 

“I come from a background where finances were limited, and you wouldn’t guess that I would end up here. 

“My father worked at Pick n Pay most of his life, and my mother was a tea lady. The household income was less than R5,000 a month, but my parents sacrificed to ensure that I had the best education,” Dlamini said. 

When she started her studies, she did not have funding, and her parents and extended family chipped in to pay for her tuition. She only got funding in her second year.

After qualifying, she started working at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, where she still is today.

She registered for her master’s a few years ago.

“It wasn’t easy, I won’t lie, but the support from my family and my supervisor, Dr Sheynaz Bassa, is what made it possible for me to complete my studies.” 

Dlamini said there is a need to raise cancer awareness, especially in rural areas, where knowledge about the disease is limited or nonexistent.

“Some people in rural communities do not know what cancer is or what the symptoms are. Others tend to ignore early warning signs until it is too late,” she said.

Dlamini said that since she has been practising radiation oncology, she has realised that more young people are being diagnosed with the disease.

“We are seeing younger and younger patients. Traditionally, patients with cancer were elderly people, and you would never have thought a person who is in her early 30s would have the disease. That is why we need to spread cancer awareness and remove age as a factor.”

Dlamini said she encourages people to have regular check-ups with their doctor as detecting the disease at an early stage is crucial for effective treatment and improved outcomes.

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