Dr. Rika Pienaar is a Clinical oncologist at Panorama Medi-clinic in Cape Town. After qualifying in 1985 at University of Orange Free State in Bloemfontein, she moved to Cape Town were she worked in the department of surgery of Tygerberg Hospital. She finished her specialization in Oncology in 1992 and went on to become a consultant radiation oncologist in the Breast clinic of Tygerberg Hospital. She joined Dr. Sean Brennan in private practise at Wynberg Hospital and a few years later they amalgamated with Gouws and Partners. (now Cancercare)
For more than 30 years she has had a deep interest in breast cancer. Being a nationally recognized “Opinion leader in Breast Cancer”, she has delivered more than 100 invited lectures at national meetings, colleges, universities and women’s organizations. She also is an elected member of various international Advisory Boards in the field of chemotherapy and hormonal therapy of breast cancer.
Under her leadership, the breast cancer treatment in Cancercare maintains a standard comparable to the best institutions world-wide. Treating patients daily, certainly dominate Dr Pienaar’s professional life, but she also collaborates in leading international research groups as co-investigator to determine the future treatment of breast cancer. She frequently attends international breast cancer meetings worldwide and continually strives for academic excellence and innovation in breast cancer management.
Combining research with patient care is the best of both worlds for Rika — it’s how she prefers to practice medicine.