As part of efforts to fight cancer in the country, Me Cure Healthcare Limited has unveiled an initiative that it said will help in early diagnosis.
The chairman of the firm, Mr Samir Udani, at the World Cancer Day event organised by the company in Lagos on Friday said it was unfortunate that most cancer cases were detected at late stages in Nigeria.
He said no fewer than 125,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Nigeria annually.
Udani said the firm had unveiled a PET/CT scan machine to detect cancer cells even before they manifest as cancer in the body.
He said, “The PET/CT increases the survival rate of patients, in that, with the radioactive tracer drug used for PET scan and non-ionizing drugs used for CT scan, injected into the patient, we can accurately detect where the cancer is, thereby helping the doctor to decide the best treatment option for the patient.
“During the cause of treatment, the PET/CT can help to detect if the treatment being given to the patient is working or not. Six months after the treatment, the machine can help to detect if the cancer has been completely treated or if there are some cancerous cells still remaining in the body.”
The Chief Strategist of the firm, Dr Kunle Megbuwawon, said the health facility had set up crowdfunding for PET/CT to help those who are unable to get the required funding.
“We plan to work with non-governmental organisations who are funding the treatment of cancer patients. In the next five years, we plan to have 10 additional PET/CT machines across Nigeria. By then, the cost of running the scan would have reduced and the service would be more accessible to Nigerians,” he said.
