Korle Bu Teaching Hospital treats cancer patients with nuclear medicine

Head of Nuclear Medicine Department of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital,Professor Alfred Ankrah disclosed that Ghana has implemented a new type of cancer treatment for advance prostate cancer called Lutetium -177 prostrate - specific Membrane antigen ( PSMA).

Prof . Ankrah made this when World Association of Radiopharmaceuticals and molecular therapist held their 18th international conference on Radiopharmaceutical therapy in Accra. 

He added that Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is the only hospital in Ghana that has functioning nuclear medicine department even though Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital has nuclear medicine technologist, the department did not have the needed equipments to be operational.  He said " Nuclear Medicine is not one man's work but a team work involving nuclear Technologist, Radiopharmaceutical , medical physicist". He said training a doctor and getting a camera for the department is  not enough but to train all members that will operate at the department will make their work successful.   He indicated that nuclear medicine department at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has been engaging Ghana College of Physician and are working on  draft that the two institutions can adopt to train more nuclear medicine technologist in Ghana. He added that engaging the Ministry of Health on how Nuclear Medicine therapy could be incorporated into the country's health care delivery.  President of World Association of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Therapy, Professor Mike Sathekge  explained that Nuclear Medicine treatment is a precision medicine which ensures that before a cancer  patient is treated with this therapy, they would have imaged the patient and remove the cancer. After which the therapy is applied to destroy the cancer cells and spread the normal tissues, to reduce detoxicity and improve patients life .  He stated that there is no need for Ghanaian government to send doctors outside to learn nuclear medicine since there are trained nuclear medicine technologist in Ghana. He therefore called on government to collaborate with trained nuclear medicine technologist to help train more for the treatment of patients with cancer in Ghana and other Africa counties.    He encourage all Africa counties to join the World Association of Radiopharmaceuticals and molecular therapy to get the needed tools and training to help democratize the therapy in the continent.   Dr Masha Maharaj , Director of Nuclear Medicine Department Umhlanga Molecular imaging therapy in south Africa said the conference was held in Ghana after the engagement with Korle Bu Teaching Hospital Nuclear Medicine Department to treat a patient with cancer and was successful. She said until now, South Africa is the only country in Africa that has this type of advance treatment for cancer. He said, "it's not fair keeping this knowledge even though doctors mostly come to South Africa for training saying the time to train more nuclear medicine technologist for the betterment of doctors and patience is now".  The conference was graced by Nuclear medicine technologist all over the world who shared knowledge on nuclear medicine therapy treatment used by doctors for the treatment of patients with cancer.