Posted on: Tue 07-05-2024

Women diagnosed with cervical cancer at the early stage and have access to brachytherapy have high chances of cure and survival, say cancer specialists at the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority–Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Cancer Centre.

The oncologists disclosed that cervical cancer treatment is incomplete without brachytherapy, a treatment they noted is available in Nigeria but expensive.

According to the American Brachytherapy Society, brachytherapy, sometimes called internal radiation therapy, is used to treat many different types of cancers.

The society states that it has been proven to be very effective and safe, providing a good alternative to surgical removal of the tumour, while reducing the risk of certain long-term side effects.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, accounting for an estimated 9.6 million deaths according to the World Health Organisation.

In Nigeria, the National Cancer Prevention and Control Plan (2018-2022), recently revealed that cancer is responsible for 72,000 deaths in the country annually, with a reported 102,000 new cases each year.

Experts say the cancer burden continues to grow globally, especially in low and middle-income countries like Nigeria, exerting tremendous physical, emotional, and financial strain on individuals, families, communities, and health systems.

The cancer specialists, who spoke during the second edition of the NSIA-LUTH Brachytherapy Summit in Lagos, noted that brachytherapy is an indispensable treatment necessary for the management of cervical cancer.

However, the physicians revealed that despite its effectiveness in the treatment of cervical cancer, only seven cancer centres have brachytherapy, in Nigeria country with a population of over 200 million.

Speaking at the summit with the theme, ‘Enhancing Access to Brachytherapy Services in Low and Middle-Income Countries: Overcoming the Barriers’, with a sub-theme, ‘Financial Toxicity in Cancer Care’, Director of the NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre, Dr Lilian Ekpo, said there was a need to address critical barrier for many patients who want to access brachytherapy.

Ekpo said it was important to enhance the quality of treatment offered to cancer patients, lamenting that cancers are on the increase globally, especially in low and middle-income countries like Nigeria.

The director said, “Brachytherapy is a key treatment necessary for the management of cervical cancer. NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre is the first 3D Brachytherapy treatment facility in the country.

“The burden of cancer is increasing globally and unfortunately, that increase is disproportionate.  In the next couple of years, we would have patients with cancer living in LMICs like ours. For this reason, it’s important to enhance the quality of treatment that they receive which is what this submission is about.

“One of the co-modalities for treatment of cervical cancer is brachytherapy and cervical cancer is one of the top significant cancers in Nigeria.”

Commenting on the theme of the summit, Ekpo said it had become imperative to make the life-saving treatment accessible and available for cancer patients in Nigeria and other LMICs.

“By addressing this issue, we can ensure that this life-saving treatment becomes a reality for more people.

“We are fortunate to have ten exceptional speakers share their expertise on various critical aspects of brachytherapy. Their insights will be invaluable in identifying solutions and formulating a roadmap for improved access.

“Collaboration is key, and through the exchange of ideas and experiences today, we can bridge the gap and make brachytherapy a more readily available treatment option”, Ekpo said.

She noted that financial toxicity, infrastructure limitations, and even a lack of awareness about brachytherapy itself remain significant hurdles.

Chief Clinical Director, NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre, Dr  Habeebu Muhammad, also underscored the importance of brachytherapy, stressing that it is crucial in the treatment of cervical cancer while stressing the need to make the life-saving treatment readily available and accessible to patients.

Muhammad said the summit brought together oncologists from Nigeria and other parts of the world to raise awareness about the importance of brachytherapy, especially in the treatment of gynaecological tumours.

The oncologist said, “We can deliberate on facilities that we have in the country for brachytherapy. Also, we have collaborations with our partners from outside the country to see the level of our technology and competence in brachytherapy.

“Brachytherapy is a type of radiotherapy treatment that uses radioactive isotopes to treat a particular area. What it does or the benefit is that you can apply a very high dose of radiation to a small area eliminating the cancer cells in that area without causing damage to the normal tissue around the area.

“It is only done in a few centres in the country because of the technology involved and the scarcity of funds to equip the centres. “

According to him, the Federal Government had furnished six centres across the six geo-political zones with brachytherapy.

He, however, said the government needs to improve health insurance to cover brachytherapy in the treatment of cancer patients and also cover the different forms of treatment given to cancer patients because cancer treatment is among the most expensive types of treatment in medicine.

He added, “Most of the patients that develop cancer in this part of the world, present late to hospital partly because of the enormous amount of money that is required for treatment.

“We have only seven cancer centres in the country offering brachytherapy. We have a population of over 200 million, so if we have 100 centres in the country, it will not be too much.

“Smaller countries in Africa have many brachytherapy centres, more than Nigeria.”

Speaking further on the importance of brachytherapy in treating cervical patients, the director noted that according to the recent National Cancer Comprehensive Network guideline, which is the international guideline for the treatment of cervical cancer, almost every stage of cervical cancer, will require brachytherapy, especially the early stage.

He maintained that brachytherapy is invaluable in achieving a cure for cervical cancer patients.

Also, a Radiation and Clinical Oncologist, Dr Bolanle Adegboyega, said the chances of cure are high when treating cervical cancer with brachytherapy.

The Head of the Brachytherapy Unit, at NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre, noted, “Cervical cancer treatment is incomplete without brachytherapy.  It is available in Nigeria and the outcome is very high.”

Speaking on financial toxicity, the oncologist said lack of finance hinders a lot of women with cervical cancer in Nigeria and other low and middle-income countries from accessing treatment early due to the cost of care.

SOURCE: PUNCH NEWSPAPER

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