Medical experts, cancer care specialists, and public health advocates converged at the 3rd Brachytherapy Summit in Lagos to chart new frontiers in the fight against gynaecological cancers in Nigeria.
Hosted by the MEDSERVE-LUTH Cancer Centre (MLCC), the summit drew a distinguished roster of practitioners and stakeholders across Nigeria’s teaching hospitals who are all united by one goal: improving access, outcomes and survivorship for women facing gynaecological cancers.
With the theme, “Advancing Gynaecological Brachytherapy in Nigeria: Bridging Gaps Through Innovation, Collaboration, and Skill Enhancement,” the summit spotlighted the urgent need to expand brachytherapy services—a form of internal radiation that has proven highly effective in treating cervical and other gynaecological cancers.
In his opening remarks, Muhammad Habeebu, chief clinical coordinator of MLCC, welcomed participants and charged them to make the summit a catalyst for transformative action.
“Innovation must be more than a buzzword; it must be applied, practical, and life-saving. Collaboration must move beyond intention to action. We must also ensure that skill enhancement becomes a sustained commitment across our institutions,” Dr. Habeebu said.
The event builds on recent milestones, including a hands-on 3D brachytherapy training conducted at MLCC the previous day, where clinicians received advanced technical instruction in cutting-edge techniques.
That session, organizers say, reflected the summit’s deeper vision—to empower local professionals with tools and knowledge that can immediately improve patient care.
A critical dimension of this year’s convening is a focus on survivorship, particularly through the lens of psycho-sexual health—a topic often marginalized in mainstream oncology conversations. The subtheme,
“Enhancing Survivorship Care: Integrating Psycho-Sexual Therapy for Gynaecological Cancer Survivors,” addresses the emotional and intimate aftermath many patients face after treatment. “Survivorship is not merely about life after treatment; it is about living well after cancer,” Dr. Habeebu noted, urging participants to reframe survivorship as a core part of clinical excellence.
The summit also featured contributions from national leaders in brachytherapy, including Bolanle Adegboyega, consultant clinical and Radiation Oncologist and Head of the Brachytherapy Unit at MEDSERVE-LUTH Cancer Centre.
“The 3rd Brachytherapy Summit represents a critical moment in our collective effort to transform cancer care in Nigeria and across other low- and middle-income countries. This year’s summit, with its focus on overcoming barriers to access, is not just a professional convening—it is a movement to close the inequality gap in gynecological cancer care,” Dr. Adegboyega said.
Experts say that while brachytherapy remains a vital component of cancer care, Nigeria continues to face significant hurdles—ranging from equipment deficits to workforce shortages and policy inertia.
Yet, with platforms like the Brachytherapy Summit, the momentum for reform is building.
The event was made possible through the collaboration of partners including TANIT Medical Engineering, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and MEDSERVE.
