Health
Cancer care: Physicians push advanced treatment to reduce side effects
Cancer and radiopharmaceutical specialists have said wider adoption of theranostics in Nigeria could improve the precision and effectiveness of cancer treatment while reducing the side effects associated with conventional therapies.
The experts explained that theranostics, a precision oncology approach that identifies specific tumour pathways and targets them for treatment, spares healthy tissues.
They noted that the approach could improve treatment outcomes, particularly for patients with cancers that are difficult to manage with conventional methods.
The experts made the call at the International Symposium on Radiopharmaceutical Therapy 2026 held in Lagos at the Loveworld Medical Centre, Ikeja, Lagos.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Salako, explained that radiopharmaceutical therapy represents an important frontier in modern medicine.
He said, “By combining advances in nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, pharmaceutical sciences, oncology, and medicine, it offers opportunities for more targeted and effective treatment of cancer while potentially reducing some of the limitations that are associated with conventional therapies. For Nigeria, the development of capacity in this area is particularly significant,” he said
Salako, who was represented by the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Prof. John Obafunwa, said Nigeria’s response must go beyond improving access to conventional cancer services to embracing innovation.
“Our additional response must go beyond improving access to conventional cancer services to embrace innovation, strengthening research and development, building a skilled workforce, and establishing the infrastructure and regulatory system required for safe and sustainable delivery of advanced therapy
“I encourage participants at this symposium to… develop partnerships that will move radiopharmaceutical therapy from the realm of scientific promise to something that is accessible to all Nigerians in the provision of care to a Nigerian that needs it,” the minister said.
Speaking, the President-elect of the World Association of Radiopharmaceutical and Molecular Therapy, Dr. Masha Maharaj, described theranostics as an advanced alternative to chemotherapy.
According to her, when chemotherapy is given, it kills both normal and abnormal cells, and patients suffer both side effects as well as the consequences of the killing of normal cells within that environment.
“Whereas in theranostics, it binds to a particular receptor that is expressed by that tumour. So, it directly targets that tumour cell, causing the least to no harm to any cell adjacent to it,” she said.
“With theranostics, the quality of life of a patient is improved, meaning we have patients who are able to do what they could not do before, and they’re able to still live a good quality of life with fewer side effects.
“And two, we are able to bring a disease from an end stage into improvement and curative state,” she added.
Maharaj, who is also the Director of Operations, Loveworld Medical Centre, said theranostics is already being offered in Nigeria, adding that LMC had conducted actinium treatment for patients with breast cancer, sarcoma and lung cancer.
The symposium chairman, Dr. Emeka Eze, described theranostics as the future of cancer therapy.
“It’s very clear this is the future of cancer therapy. The more it’s adopted, the more affordable it will be. And the beautiful thing about precision oncology is the fact that what we are dealing with is targeted care, elimination of the conventional side effects of chemotherapy,” he said.
Eze, who is also the LMC Chief Medical Director, added, “These radionuclear materials only target diseased cells. They don’t go after all rapidly dividing cells. So, the side-effect profile is almost zero. That’s a huge difference.”
Speaking earlier, the LMC Chairman, Dr. Deola Philips, said the adoption of theranostics would reduce treatment-related complications and strengthen Nigeria’s ability to provide advanced cancer care locally.
“What is more about just treating cancer is about the person living with cancer, preserving the quality of life, reducing unnecessary toxicity, and the burden of side effects associated with conventional treatments, enabling patients to live well for as long as possible, irrespective of the stage of their disease.
“This symposium demonstrates that sophisticated cancer diagnostics and targeted treatments can be developed, taught, and delivered in Africa to international standards. For the LMC, this is part of our larger mission, not simply to provide excellent care, but to become a center that develops people,” she said.
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