A groundbreaking genetic study led by Cape Town-born scientist Dr Samantha Cairncross is set to transform cancer care for African patients. Her seven-year PhD research – the first of its kind in Africa – has uncovered genetic markers that predict which head and neck cancer patients are most likely to suffer severe side effects from radiotherapy.
This breakthrough offers a pathway to personalised cancer treatment tailored to the unique genetic diversity of African populations. Until now, most radiogenomics studies have excluded African patients, leaving doctors without data to guide safer, more effective therapies on the continent.
Dr Cairncross’ journey to this milestone began in Bishop Lavis and Elsies, where her father, a primary school teacher, brought home science books and her late uncle encouraged her to peer through a telescope. That early love of discovery matured into a BSc in Medical Bioscience and, ultimately, a PhD focused on the transformative potential of genetics in healthcare.
“Growing up, I saw a lot of inequality,” she told Social TV. “We’re not just oppressed economically or socially – we’re also oppressed scientifically. My research aims to change that.”
Her findings reveal significant links between several genetic variants and an increased risk of severe toxicities from radiotherapy. With this knowledge, doctors could pre-screen patients to identify those at higher risk and adjust treatment plans to reduce side effects without compromising effectiveness.
Looking ahead, Dr Cairncross and her supervisors plan to validate the results in larger, more diverse cohorts and expand their work to other African populations. They believe radiogenomics could ease the continent’s growing cancer burden while enriching global understanding of genetic variations in radiation response.
This study marks a critical step towards health equity in oncology – ensuring that African patients are no longer left out of the data shaping their care.
