The Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, has launched its first immunotherapy clinical trial for patients with colorectal cancer.
The Principal Investigator, Prof. Olusegun Alatise of the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), disclosed this while addressing a news conference on Wednesday in Ile-Ife.
Colorectal cancer affects the colon or rectum—parts of the large intestine—and often begins as a polyp that can become cancerous over time.
Common symptoms include changes in bowel habits, blood in the stool, abdominal pain, and unexplained weight loss.
It is a growing health concern in Nigeria, where treatment options are limited and survival rates remain low.
Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that harnesses the body’s immune system to fight cancer by stimulating it to recognize and attack cancer cells, offering a more targeted approach with potentially fewer side effects than traditional treatments like chemotherapy.
Prof. Alatise, a surgeon, said OAUTHC—in collaboration with other university teaching hospitals in the country—is addressing the challenges in treating colorectal cancer in Nigeria.
According to him, colorectal cancer is an increasing health problem in Nigeria, with less than half of patients surviving beyond one year after diagnosis.
He noted that the cancer often does not respond well to traditional treatments such as chemotherapy.
The surgeon highlighted that research in other countries has shown hypnotherapy to be highly effective in colorectal cancer patients with mismatch-repair deficiency (dMMR).
Alatise said the National Health Research Ethics Committee of Nigeria (NHREC) ensures that all health research in the country is ethical and compliant with global standards.
He added that patients would be treated at OAUTHC, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and Medserve’s NSIA Diagnostic Centre in Lagos.
Alatise commended the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for its full support of the research.
A Consultant Breast Surgeon at OAUTHC, Dr Funmilola Wuraola, urged women to regularly examine their breasts at home and in hospitals for early detection and prevention of breast cancer.
