NGO urges adoption of precision medicine in cancer treatment

On Feb 2, 2025

The Project Pink Blue (PPB), a frontline NGO on cancer elimination, has urged government at all levels to give more attention to precision medicine in the campaign against cancer.

Miss Gloria Okwu, the Project Coordinator, made the call on Saturday in Abuja, after a road walk to commemorate the 2025 World Cancer Day.

The precision medicine uses information about a person’s gene, protein, environment and lifestyle to prevent, diagnose or treat disease.

Quoting statistics from the National Cancer Control Plan, Okwu said that no fewer than 120,000 people get infected by cancer annually.

She said that there was need for both government and professionals in the medical sector to rise up to the occasion.

The coordinator said that the government should work towards the use of precision medicine for the treatment of cancer in the country.

“Many people visit the hospital to present their case at stage four and at stage three for obvious reasons.

“Although precision medicine is expensive, more awareness should be created about it. We should begin to explore the good things about precision medicine.

“We should start doing clinical trials to ensure that the medicines being brought to us are good, not just that they have been tested,” she said.

Okwu further said that no fewer than 70,000 persons die from cancer annually, and that most patients did not live beyond five years after their diagnosis.

“Some patients present their situation very late while some of those who present their cases early cannot treat themselves because of poverty,” she said.

She said that the government had not done enough sensitisation on the introduction of HPV vaccine for the treatment of cancer, saying, “there should be a change of attitude”

“The government should equip more hospitals with cancer treatment facilities, they should also build more centres. There should be better remuneration for consultants,” she said.

Miss Ijeoma Osuji, the E-Commerce Manager, Transcorp Hilton Abuja, one of the programme partners, described cancer as deadly, saying that public awareness is necessary in tackling it.

She said that the cancer symposium scheduled for Feb. 4 would provide a platform for cancer awareness, diagnosis and treatment.

Dr Ukoma, Chi-Kadibia, the Vice President, Nigeria Cancer Society, commended PPB for its cancer awareness programmes in the past one decade.

“We urge the government to support organisations that are doing advocacy for the elimination of cancer. More oncologists should also be trained,” she said.

NAN/Wumi