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Background: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer amongst women worldwide. Whilst current evidence indicates the therapeutic benefits from the use of chemotherapy, self-perceived cognitive difficulties emerged as a frequent occurrence during and after chemotherapy treatment in breast cancer patients.Aim: The current study sought to investigate self-perceived cognitive impairment in a group of breast cancer patients in semi-rural South Africa.Setting: The patients were recruited from an outpatient oncology clinic at a semi-rural, tertiary academic hospital in Gauteng, South Africa.Methods: In a randomised, quantitative, time-based series study, 30 female patients aged 21–60 years (mean age = 50 years) diagnosed with stages II and III breast cancer on CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil) (n = 10) and FAC (fluorouracil, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide) (n = 20) chemotherapy regimens, completed the self-reported Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognition (Fact-Cog) test as a measure of subjective cognitive functioning at three points during the course of treatment (T0, T1, T2).Results: The results of the paired sample t-tests showed the scores on the Fact-Cog test confirmed significant cognitive decline for both treatment groups from baseline (T0) to completion (T2) of chemotherapy; CMF group, t (9) = 2.91, p = 0.017 and the FAC group t (19) = 4.66, p 0.001.Conclusion: This study confirms that self-reported subjective cognitive impairment is common in breast cancer patients who received chemotherapy in a sample of South African patients. The results have implications for the overall care of cancer patients.Contribution: The context-based knowledge engendered by the current study is expected to augment the continuum of care for breast cancer patients.

Depression affects nearly 350 million people worldwide. Local data indicates that approximately 17% of all South Africans will experience at least one episode of depression in their lifetime. Depressive disorders contribute significantly towards overall morbidity and increased risk for suicide. Antidepressant therapy remains one of the cornerstones in the management of depressive disorders. Although the efficacy of antidepressive drugs is continuously subjected to criticism, thousands of controlled clinical trials have shown, and will continue to show, their benefit in the effective treatment of depressive disorders. Since the introduction of antidepressants in the early 1950s, researchers have been searching for an ideal antidepressant able to adequately reduce, preserve and prevent features of depression with the absence of side effects. This article summarizes the currently available antidepressant drugs in South Africa. Discontinued products have been omitted and newly registered agents have been added. This review does not contain reference to any experimental drug, or substances not yet available for local use.

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In managing HIV/AIDS with highly active antiretroviral agents, the historical therapeutic aim remains to maintain the plasma concentrations at a level above the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) required for 50% inhibition in viral replication. Concentration dependent toxicity is often observed in patients with elevated drug exposure and high peak plasma levels in lieu of accurately calculated drug dosages. Similarly low plasma concentrations are frequently witnessed in individuals receiving adequate dosage regimens. Pharmacogenetic variations in drug metabolizing enzymes may contribute to this phenomenon. Over the last decade, knowledge about the role of pharmacogenetics in the treatment and prediction of ARV plasma levels have increased significantly. However, the extent of these genetic variations remain largely unknown in the South African population, which has sparked a renewed enthusiasm for local pharmacogenetic studies.