Tag: testicular cancer

Categories : CancerTags :

Heroes in Purple Speedos Raise R1 200 000

On By ModernMedia

Hollard Daredevil Run Hands over Funds Raised and Launches 2026 Campaign

Hollard has donated R1 200 000 to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) and the Prostate Cancer Foundation, with every rand raised by the purple speedo-clad heroes who took part in the 2025 Daredevil Run. At the same event, the 2026 campaign was officially launched and South African men will be called upon to lace up, strip down and do it all again!

Seventeen years in and the Hollard Daredevil Run shows no signs of putting its trousers back on. Under this year’s tagline “Lekker Balls; Lekker Life”, the 2026 cheque handover and campaign launch took place today at Hollard Campus in Parktown, Johannesburg.

The R1.2 million raised in the 2025 Hollard Daredevil Run was formally handed over to CANSA and the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) to fund awareness campaigns, Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) screening and patient support. “The Hollard Daredevil Run is an unforgettable experience that raises awareness in a fun, engaging manner and sparks dialogue about men’s health in a non-threatening way,” saysHazel Chimhandamba, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Hollard.

“In 2024, we raised R1 million, 100% of which went directly to supporting prostate and testicular cancer awareness programmes. We are incredibly grateful to every Daredevil who dared to run in a purple speedo. It takes a special kind of bravery to turn heads for something that truly matters. Because behind all the laughs is a very serious mission: getting more men to check in on their health and each other,” adds Hazel.

The stakes are real. Prostate cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in South African men. One in eight men is expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, with Black African men facing a 60% higher risk than other population groups. South Africa’s mortality rate due to prostate cancer is particularly high, largely due to underscreening, sociocultural stigmas and lack of health education.

Testicular cancer, while less widespread, is most common in young men aged 15-49, affecting approximately 1 in every 250 males. When caught early, it is highly treatable. A two-minute self-examination can detect lumps, swelling, or changes early, that’s considerably less time than it takes to run 5km in a purple speedo and the payoff is just as big.

A simple Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test for men over 40 can detect elevated protein levels before a single symptom appears. “The Hollard Daredevil donation is the largest single donation the PCF receives each year,” says Andrew Oberholzer, CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of South Africa. “The funds help PCF distribute accurate, multilingual educational material and keep free PSA screening programmes running nationwide.”

He goes on to say that the run has also contributed to the development of South Africa’s first comprehensive prostate cancer registry, launching in 2026, which will track incidence, treatment and outcomes. The campaign further funds PCF’s helpline and support networks for men and families navigating a diagnosis.

Lorraine Govender, National Manager: Health Programmes of CANSA states, “The Hollard Daredevil Run has become far more than a fundraising event – it’s helped build a national movement that encourages men to speak openly about their health and seek help sooner. We are incredibly grateful to Hollard and every participant whose courage and commitment enable CANSA to continue providing awareness, early detection, screening and support services to men across South Africa.”

The event returns to Zoo Lake in Johannesburg on Friday, 23 October at 3pm with participants elsewhere able to register and run in their own neighbourhoods, workplaces, schools or universities anywhere in the country.

Registrations for the 2026 Hollard Daredevil Run open from 1 July and tickets will be available from Ticketpro at R200, which includes the courier of a registration pack and a complimentary purple speedo.

For more information, go to www.hollard.co.za/daredevilrun.

Categories : Cancer UrologyTags :

Open Surgery for Lymph Node Removal is Still the Gold Standard in Testicular Cancer

On By ModernMedia
Photo by cottonbro studio

A new study published in BJU International has found that the conventional, versatile open surgery approach to removal of the lymph nodes behind the intestines for patients whose testicular cancer has not advanced beyond the abdomen is the gold standard of care for men in this condition.

Open surgery involves making an incision on the abdomen for a direct view and access to the surgical area. In the appropriate patients, cancer cure rates are excellent with this surgery alone due to continued clinician experience and refinement of technique, particularly at high-volume centres.

The study, led by urologist and health services researcher Clint Cary, MD, MPH, MBA, of the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute, was conducted using information from the on 165 patients with clinical stage I or II testicular cancer and no prior chemotherapy. One of the highest-volume testicular cancer treatment groups in the US, IU School of Medicine’s Department of Urology is among those groups setting the bar for both better surgical results and fewer negative outcomes such as infertility. Study benchmarks included low blood loss, short hospital stay and rare major postoperative complications.

Dr Cary notes that the paper, which includes analysis of risk factors for complications, clearly indicates that prior to treatment, men and their families should have conversations with their local urologist about their experience level across risk factors, such as high body mass index (BMI), as well as have detailed discussions of complication rates. He adds that both patients and clinicians can use the findings of this paper as a bar for comparison as they make choices.

“In my clinical role at Indiana University in the operating room, I frequently perform lymph node dissections for men with a lower burden of metastatic cancer who have not had chemotherapy or may never receive it for this cancer. In my complementary role as a Regenstrief Institute health services researcher, I study the impact of clinical decisions,” said Dr Cary. “For this study, I wanted to know that this and other treatments I perform are making a difference and I want to know – whether we are continuing established treatments or introducing new approaches to surgery – how these decisions and the resulting care will impact patients’ quality of life and their cancer outcomes.

“This study is an example of how the benefit of providing clinical care and also being in a research environment enables us to learn from what we’re doing and to report it in a manner that is meaningful to both patients and physicians. We’re always looking for ways to improve upon surgical outcomes. Going beyond the scope of this paper, we are now expanding our work to begin a randomised trial comparing two surgical techniques for removing lymph nodes to understand if one is better than the other regarding postoperative recovery.”

The paper did not compare robot-assisted surgery with traditional open surgery, which may allow a more complete lymph node dissection. While robotic surgery in general offers potential benefits to both surgeons and patients, the authors note that the head to head comparison between these two approaches is limited due to small experiences with the robotic approach in testicular cancer.

The authors conclude that for patients undergoing removal of lymph nodes for testicular cancer and certainly more complex and challenging patients at higher risk of post-operative complications, the traditional open surgery remains the most effective approach and the gold standard.

Source: Regenstrief Institute