Prostrate Cancer: Oludare Folajimi Adeyemi Makes Breakthrough In The Treatment

A Medical Consultant and Radiation Oncologist in Benin City, the Edo State capital, Dr. Oludare Folajimi Adeyemi has made a major breakthrough in the treatment of the dreaded prostrate cancer.

Following the breakthrough, some medical experts said the illness was now a common thing in the hands of Adeyemi since his discovery of the tested ‘Brachytherapy (implant) treatment for prostrate cancer.


Speaking with journalists after performing a round of treatment on some patients at the LA Oncology Clinic, Benin City, Adeyemi said the disease was the commonest cancer ailment amongst men, noting that one out of every seven men was likely to develop it.

The prostrate cancer treatment expert disclosed that prostrate brachytherapy was a unique form of treating the disease, especially as the new treatment was not only affordable but less time consuming.

“Although, there are other options of treating prostrate cancer, the Brachytherapy method is unique, accurate and offers high degree of cure to the patient with prostrate cancer, especially when it is done at the early stage of the disease.

“In this discovery of mine, what we do is to implant a radioactive inside the prostrate and begin to release radiations which ended up killing the cells. It damages what we call DNA and when DNA is damaged, the cells cannot actually produce any longer.”

Speaking on behalf of the President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), second Vice President, Dr. Ofene Enang commended Adeyemi for the breakthrough, saying the association will continue to support such initiative.

While describing the radiation brachytherapy as new form of therapy in the treatment of prostrate cancer, Enang said NMA was at the forefront of canvassing for reversal of medical tourism in the country.

Earlier, a US based oncologist, Dr. Maghari, Rachid described the breakthrough as a blessing to Nigerians, adding that it will discourage the idea of travelling abroad for prostrate treatment.

World Hepatitis Day: Are Hepatitis B And C Curable? An Overview- Dr Seyitan

Are Hepatitis B and C curable?

Hepatitis is simply put, inflammation of the liver, that is, the body’s response to an insult to the liver. Several agents can “insult” the liver, from toxins to chemicals (alcohol) to infectious agents like viruses and parasites.

However, the focus of this article is on hepatitis caused by viruses. Of the various hepatotripic (liver-loving) viruses, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus stand out, because of the ability of these viruses to persist in the liver for long periods of time, causing long term damage and deterioration to the liver over many years. This often leads to liver failure or liver cancer (hepatocelluar carcinoma).

These viruses are transmitted via blood (sharing or sharps, accidental needle stick injuries, transfusion of unscreened blood etc.) and body fluids like vaginal secretions and semen.

Infected persons can present acutely with anorexia, nausea, vomiting, body aches, low-grade fever before developing yellowish discoloration of their sclerae (white part of the eyes), skin and mucous membranes. In the late stages, patients could develop signs of chronic liver disease such as abdominal swelling with fluid (ascites), swelling of the feet (pedal edema), muscle wasting, redness of the palms (palmar erythema), enlargement of the liver and spleen etc.

It could also be asymptomatic, leaving the sufferer unaware of the infection, often for many years before they are discovered incidentally by screening.
Any individual experiencing any of these symptoms, or who is at risk of exposure to these viruses can walk into a health centre and have some screening tests done i.e. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBSAg), Hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV) and other ancillary tests like the liver function test and abdominal ultrasound (more useful for those with the infection).

Anyone with a positive HBSAg test would be required to do a full Hepatitis B panel (Hepatitis B surface antigen, Hepatitis B e antigen, Hepatitis B core antibody IgM and IgG, Hepatitis B e antibody, Hepatitis B Virus DNA), which would determine the phase of infection and guide treatment.

On the other hand, those who test positive to Hepatitis C would proceed to quantify the virus by doing a viral load which would also guide treatment.
Most interestingly, the treatment of these viral hepatitides (plural for hepatitis) are experiencing major breakthroughs, with new drugs being discovered and cures being achieved. Hepatitis B remains yet uncurable, but all hope is not lost.

New antiviral agents are being discovered and current ones are able to suppress viral load to the barest minimum… enough to prevent progression of the disease to end stage/ end game.

It however gives me great pleasure to write that Hepatitis C CAN and has been CURED in many individuals. Initially, for many decades only medications like ribavirin and interferon were available, with disappointing cure rates and side effects that made “the cure of the disease more grievous than the endurance of the same.”

The newer drugs and drug combinations are however doing the trick more conveniently (oral administration), cheaper (than prolonged suffering and death), with much less side effects and for only about 8-12 weeks.

These wonder combos include Ledispasvir/sofosbuvir (Harvoni), Elbasvir/grazoprevir (Zepatier), Ombitasvir/paritaprevir/Ritonavir/Dasabuvir (Viekira Pak), Ombitasvir/paritaprevir/Ritonavir (Technivie) and Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (Epclusa). Combination therapy is much more efficacious than monotherapy.

Like the adage goes, prevention is indeed better than cure and this holds true for hepatitis B and C virus infection.
Hepatitis B vaccine should be given to new borns and immunoglobulins added for babies born to infected mothers. Hepatitis B vaccine for adults are also available, some of which last for life.

Other preventive strategies generally involve having respect for our bodies and treating our livers nicely, by avoiding alcohol (especially the excess of it), self medication, sharing of sharps (like razors, nail cutters, hair clippers, ear rings etc), adequate protection during sexual intercourse (especially for an unmarried couple where their statuses are not known), and avoiding illicit (intravenous) drug use.

Also, blood for transfusion should be well screened and health workers should be extra careful to avoid unprecedented needle stick injuries and avoid unnecessary contact with blood and body fluids of patients.

On a final note, when has routine health checks ever harmed anybody? Do well to get yourself screened. Better safe than sorry.

Sign Up For ''OPERATION ROLL OUT STROKE''....Agenda 2020

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Breakthrough: University of Jos-Nigeria -unveils-world-first-anti-snake-vaccine

By Emmanuel Elebeke At last, solution has come the way of victims of snake bite as the African Centre of Excellence in Phytomedicine Research and Development, University of Jos in collaboration with the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, NOTAP on Wednesday unveiled the first indigenous and world first Anti—Snake vaccine called COVIP-Plus in Abuja

The presentation took place at a national forum on promotion of Anti-Snake Venom (COVIP-Plus) for commercialization organised by NOTAP and ACEPRD held at Kanem Suit, Utako, Abuja

Snake bite is one of the most neglected public health issues that need critical interventions and the current treatment of snake bites has remained monovalent and sometimes expensive (polyvalent), thus the introduction of the new vaccine to minimize the mortality and morbidity rates in the country. 

Speaking on the innovation, the chief inventor and Centre Leader of African Centre of Excellence in Phytomedicine Research and Development, University of Jos, Prof. John Aguiyi said the concept of the invention was borne out of the desire to provide affordable and available anti-snake vaccine for Nigerians, especially farmers. 

Prof. Aguiyi said the product is ready now and can go to market if NAFDAC approves it for clinical trial, which is the only certificate it needs before it can be commercialized and be made available. ‘‘We have developed the process of manufacturing and we cloned it. With cloning we can manufacture as much kilograms as we will need. 

‘‘The major thing we have in mind is to bring down the cost of treatment of snake bite. We have seen the prices, one Vive for N32,000 for the monovalent, the polyvalent goes for N52,000. In a very serious situation, you need from five to 10 verves. It becomes imperative that we develop something for our own use from local source and that is what we have done. To crown it, the vaccine can be carried to any corner of Nigeria because it will stand temperature.

On what makes it unique, he said, ‘‘The one in circulation has to be refrigerated, order wise it will lose its potency. They are purported to have been produced in Nigeria but we know where they are produced. It is the first in the world because going through the literatures, you will not find a plant derived anti-snake vaccine.

 That is what made it to be unique. It was not a day’s journey, took almost 24 years with potency and endurance.’’ He called on government, private sector, pharmaceutical companies and NAFDAC to partner with ACEPRD and NOTAP in the effort to commercialize the product. Presenting the new vaccine, the director general of NOTAP,

 Dr. Danazumi Mohammed informed that the collaboration between ACEPRD, University of Jos and NOTAP started with assistance by NOTAP in the growth of indigenous Research and development efforts in support of the growth of the indigenous research and development efforts in Nigeria.

NUTRITIONAL AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF COCOYAM

Cocoyam – Colocasia esculenta

Colocasia esculenta popularly known as cocoyam is a tropical, perenial crop. It is a starchy tuber crop with three parts namely; corm, stem and leaves, which is grown basically for edible root. It can also be grown as an ornamental plant for the beautification of the environment as well as a medicinal plant.

Cocoyam has its origin from Asia or Southeast Asia as some researchers have found out and it is a known staple crop in most developing countries of Africa. It can also be found in India, USA, Japan as well as Singapore. 

Cocoyam Delicacies

• It can be boiled and eaten with tomatoes stew or spinach sauce
• It can be roasted and eaten with fried groundnut
• It can be fried into chips
• It can also be prepared as a porridge.
• It can also be boiled, pounded and used as a thickener for local soup 

Nutritional benefits

• Great source of dietary fibre
• It is an excellent source of carbohydrate
• Contains a good amount of protein,Thaimine, copper, calcium,niacin,manganese, vitamin B6, vitamins C, A and E.
• It also contains riboflavin,magnesium, phosphorous, iron,zinc and potassium. 

Medicinal benefits

• Cocoyam is also important for maintaining a healthy immune system.
• The dietary fibre in it helps to protect the skin and give it a good glow.
• It aids in the digestive process.
• Increases blood circulations, prevents heart disease, lungs and oral cancer
• Supports the muscle and helps in decreasing blood pressure.

Cocoyam should be properly cooked before consuption because it’s toxic in raw form due to high amount of oxalates. It should be eaten moderately, it is very high in calories

Blood test detects several cancer types

For many types of cancer, the earlier the cancer is detected, the more successful treatment is likely to be. That’s why doctors suggest cancer screening tests such as mammograms to detect breast cancer and colonoscopy to find colorectal cancer. Screening tests can detect cancer before any symptoms develop.

Researchers have been working to develop tests that can detect bits of tumor material in bodily fluids such as blood or urine. These tests, sometimes referred to as liquid biopsies, could potentially be used to catch cancers much earlier, long before symptoms appear.

A research team based at Johns Hopkins University set out to develop a blood test that could detect several types of cancer and pinpoint their source. They focused on eight cancer types: breast, colorectal, esophagus, liver, lung, ovary, pancreas, and stomach. These cancers are common in Western populations, and there are no blood-based tests for their early detection in common clinical use. The study was funded in part by NIH’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). Results appeared online on January 18, 2018, in Science.

The team evaluated known biomarkers for their ability to help detect signs of solid tumors in the blood before they spread to other parts of the body. They searched for the most effective combination of known mutations to identify cancers using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)—pieces of DNA in the bloodstream that have been released from cancer cells. They also assessed protein biomarkers, since many early-stage tumors don’t release detectable amounts of ctDNA.

The test, called CancerSEEK, evaluates the presence of 2,001 genetic mutations and levels of eight proteins. The researchers tested CancerSEEK in 1,005 patients who had been diagnosed with cancer but whose cancers hadn’t yet spread at the time of enrollment. They tested 812 healthy controls for comparison.

CancerSEEK is an experimental blood test that detects and localizes eight common cancer types. Elizabeth Cook and Kaitlin Lindsay

Overall, CancerSEEK detected 70% of the cancers. Sensitivity ranged from 98% for ovarian cancers to 33% for breast cancers. Sensitivity varied by cancer stage: 78% for Stage III cancers; 73% for Stage II cancers; and 43% for Stage I cancers. Only 7 of the 812 people without known cancers scored positive (>99% specificity).

The scientists used machine learning to predict the underlying cancer type in the 626 cancer patients who had positive CancerSEEK tests. They were able to narrow the source of the cancer to two organs in 83% of the patients and to a single organ in 63%.

“This test represents the next step in changing the focus of cancer research from late-stage disease to early disease, which I believe will be critical to reducing cancer deaths in the long term,” says co-lead researcher Dr. Bert Vogelstein.

“The use of a combination of selected biomarkers for early detection has the potential to change the way we screen for cancer, and it is based on the same rationale for using combinations of drugs to treat cancers,” says senior author Dr. Nickolas Papadopoulos.

The scientists estimate that the test will cost less than $500. The eight cancer types studied account for more than half of cancer deaths nationwide, and current screening tests with proven benefit are limited to only a few types of cancer. Earlier detection could potentially reduce deaths from these diseases. However, there were several limitations to this study. Further testing will be needed to measure the accuracy and predictive value of CancerSEEK in a clinical setting.

—by Harrison Wein, Ph.D.

UNTH Records 230 Successful Open-heart Surgeries

Chairman, National Cardiothoracic Centre of Excellence, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku Ozalla, Enugu, Professor Basden Onwubere, has revealed that the centre successfully carried out about 230 open-heart surgeries since March 2013.

Onwubere, a former Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), disclosed that over half of the figure were children.

He disclosed this while responding to questions from reporters at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu yesterday on activities of the centre.


He, however, stated that although UNTH started open-heart surgery in February 1974 and suspended in 2007 due to movement to its new site at Ituku Ozalla, the number carried out in the last six years outweighs surgeries carried out in 33 years from 1974 to 2007.

He attributed the progress to support of UNTH’s Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Chris Amah, who not only supported the project financially, but also engaged some international partners and philanthropists who helped to smoothen the process of surgery.

Speaking, Amah, noted that he has no regrets investing on the open-heart project.

He stressed that his greatest joy was that the lives of some persons who could not have afforded the cost of surgery anywhere, were saved after successful open-heart operations at the hospital, adding that open-heart surgery at the UNTH has become a routine.

10 ways to prevent Stroke

Is stroke hereditary?

Is stroke hereditary?

In the case of strokes, we do know that there is a hereditary component of several of the risk factors that lead to strokes. Unlike a disease like cancer, a stroke is not a primary disease. ... As a result, people with a family history of stroke should have their cholesterol levels and blood pressure monitored carefully.

Babcock University Teaching Hospital,Nigeria Performs First Successful Spinal Surgery

The Orthopaedic Department of Babcock University Teaching Hospital,Nigeria just achieved a great feat, as it performed its first successful spinal surgery.

Kelechukwu Onuoha, Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon with Babcock University Teaching Hospital, BUTH, who confirmed that they performed its first successful spinal surgery, said it was carried out under general anaesthesia on a middle-aged female patient with multi-level “spinal stenosis”.


Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces within the spine, which can put pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine. The condition occurs most often in the lower back and the neck. Some people with spinal stenosis may not have symptoms. According to Dr. Kelechukwu, the procedure uwas a revision spinal surgery L2 – L5 lumber spinal decompression and instrumentation.


The 59-years-old patient, who asked for protection of her identity, had undergone a spinal surgery five years earlier in another hospital,” he said.

Another Conjoined Twins Separated In ATBUTH Bauchi-Nigeria

A surgical feat by a team of medical experts has been achieved at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi State-Nigeria

The medical team successfully separated another set of conjoined twins at its main theater under the headship of our foremost Pediatric Surgeon and Deputy CMAC Training, Dr Kefas Bwala.

This is the second such feat in less than twelve months.

Last year, a set of conjoined twins were separated at the same hospital, Bauchi.

Chinese Doctor Ling Zhipei Performs Remote Brain Surgery On Patient 3,000km Away

A Chinese doctor, Dr. Ling Zhipei has performed the first ever brain surgery over a 5G mobile network, according to Chinese media.

A patient with Parkinson's disease allegedly had an implant put in their brain by a doctor who was more than 1,800miles away (3,000km).

Using 5G technology, Dr Zhipei remotely implanted a neuro-stimulator into his patient’s brain on Saturday, moving instruments in PLAGH hospital in Beijing. The patient was in a clinic on the other side of the country, on the southern Hainan Island.

Allegedly, the surgery that ended successfully lasted for three hours. The patient, suffering from Parkinson’s disease, is said to be feeling well and is recovering.

The technology used for this pioneer surgery is based on a computer that uses a next generation 5G network developed by the Chinese tech giant Huawei. As the doctor moves the robotized arms with instruments, the 5G network enables the instant response of the same robotic arms on the other side of connection. According to Dr Zhipei, the feeling is as close at it can be as if the patient was really in front of him.

“You barely feel that the patient is 3,000 kilometers away,” he said.

The advantage of 5G digital networks over standard 4G is in their reliability. Conventional 4G has no capacity to transfer video without lagging, which often results in jumpy movement of a picture or video.

For years manufacturers of medical equipment have been racing to produce gear that lets surgeons operate from a distance, like the robotic “telesurgery” provided by the American da Vinci Surgical System. However, the system was too expensive and has some technical issues. The new 5G network offers the change that medical tech giants were looking for and China just proved that remote surgery is a new chapter in the history of medicine.

Remote surgery benefits are numerous. It could allow people from far-away regions or war zones to receive immediate help from top doctors around the globe.

Dinavir: New Cure For HIV Discovered In Russia

Hope for HIV cure brightens.

The Russian Central Research Institute of Epidemiology has developed a new gene therapy medicine for people living with HIV, head of the federal health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, said on Wednesday.

“The Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor created a fundamentally new drug for gene therapy, gene prophylactic treatment and molecular vaccination against HIV.

“A highly active antiviral drug called Dinavir, which will soon be clinically tested, has been created,” Popova said on the sidelines of an international conference on HIV and AIDS in Moscow.

The official noted that Russia was facing a number a number of problems related to treatment of HIV and AIDS, including high prices for treatment and lack of proper medications.

This is very much similar to the problems posed by HIV treatment in Nigeria.

Millions of people have been infected with HIV since it was first discovered

in early 1980s, prompting the development of drugs that would help tackle the deadly virus.

This is goodnews to Nigeria where it is estimated that every 5 out of 100 persons (5%) has HIV/AIDS. The number of people living with HIV vary from 1 to 12 in every 100 persons in the various states of the the country. In 2004, an estimated 3.2 to 3.8 million Nigerians have been infected by HIV making Nigeria the third highest prevalence rate worldwide; next to South Africa and India.

Though the rate of daily infection of HIV has dropped significantly due to efforts of the federal government, civil society organizations, multinational organisations, private individuals, among others; people living with the disease in Nigeria are desperately looking for “HIV cure”.