US-based Kenyan Nuclear Medicine expert John Gitau Wairimu has advised the Kenyan government on how to address the cancer menace in the country.
Gitau, who made history by being among the first four students in the United States to graduate with a Master’s degree in Nuclear Medicine in 2017, said the government’s main focus should be to diagnose cancer in the early stages.
“While declaring cancer a national disaster in Kenya is progress; the real issue here is when and how do we diagnose cancer during the early stages when it is still manageable and can respond to therapy,” said Gitau.
The 35-year-old further said the government needs to invest in nuclear medicine procedures, which he noted that can detect cancer cells earlier than x-rays and CAT scans can do.
“My advice to the Government as a Nuclear medicine expert is to prioritize the adaption of better diagnostic equipment and methods. Nuclear medicine procedures can detect cancer cells many months before x-ray and CAT Scans do, and actually show the cell physiology, but Nuclear medicine is not practiced in Kenya yet there is a Nuclear regulation commission in the Government; its purpose we don’t know,” he posed.
Gitau explained that by the time a patient in Kenya is diagnosed with cancer through x-rays and CAT scans, it would have reached the final stages, hence incurable.
“…going to India or England will not save the patient; stage 4 cannot be saved by medical tourism to India or the United States or the United Kingdom,” said Gitau.
He concluded: “To the Kenyan government: adopting early detection methods like nuclear medicine will be the only way out.”
Gitau, together with three other Americans became the first four students in the whole of the US to attain a Master’s Degree in the field in 2017. The four graduated from the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB).
The study of Nuclear Medicine Technology was first launched in the 1950s. Nuclear Medicine Technology is widely used in diagnosing and staging cancer, detecting heart problems and brain infections among others.
How about finding out what’s…
How about finding out what’s the cause first? Strategy ya mzungu ni treat the symptoms and not the cause. We need to focus on causes esp use of chemicals in our plants and foods, using plastics in microwaves, make ups, test all the drinks etc and educate the public!
There are cancer screening…
There are cancer screening lab tests that can be run if the doctor has tested for everything else such as the basics – CMP, BMP, and many other specialized tests. If anything suspicious shows up on the tests or not and the patient is still unwell, then the doctor should consider running the cancer screening tests just to be sure it’s not cancer. And then based on the results, send the patient to an oncologist for staging and biopsies, and etc. I think PAP smears, breast checks, prostate checks, and other life saving tests should be made mandatory and free to patients to cut down on late stage cancer diagnosis. Patients do not have to die from Leukemia either…there’s always bone marrow donation that can be used if it matches. Treating symptoms is just delaying the inevitable which is progression of the disease sometimes. The introduction of the western diet, microwave usage, alcohol, chemicals used in growing foods in Kenya, are some of what is causing cancer in Kenya, not to mention stress! Gitau, nuclear medicine is very important for Kenya, and I think we should advocate for it in Kenya. Maybe you should meet with the the president, a panel of oncologists and radiologists to make a case for it. Who knows, someone might listen!
Eeeh…Nuclear Medicine…
Eeeh…Nuclear Medicine Expert you say…what do Radiologists do again? I thought Kenya has those. Alabama…South of the US…yeah right. Anyhow, not to be trivial.
First, when I think of Laboso, and learn that she came from a farming family, I have to ask: how much Round-up (the great weed killer from Monsanto) is exposed to Kenyans? Who is protecting them from Monsanto, Del Monte, Reckitt and Benckiser…all these companies produce cancer causing chemicals. Are we protected? Cancer does not happen in a day or even months. The physiological change at cellular level begins decades earlier. By the time a tumor is seen, things have been falling apart for years. And that is where the rest of us are not sure: when do the cells start backfiring? Women: those chemicals in your hair have been found in breast tumors.
I respect the thoughts of a…
I respect the thoughts of a nuclear medicine expert/graduate but beg to differ on the approach Kenya ought to take in combating the various cancers. Nuclear medicine is only used at the tertiary stages of diseases, when the disposition is so advanced and past the biopsy stage. Nuc medicine is beneficial for cancer staging purposes rather than detection. The best strategy is for all health care stakeholders to advocate for primary prevention of diseases and ensuring that patients complete needed preventative medicine screenings like cervical cancer every three years after 21 and every five years after 30, colorectal cancer screening every 10 years if without hyperplasia history, otherwise every 5, breast cancer screening yearly after 45/50 depending on family history, HIV screening yearly, Folic acid supplementation for any woman of child bearing age, diabetes every 6 months for all adults 30 years and above, and lung cancer screening using low dose CT scan for everyone who has smoked for 15 years. These are among the basic screenings that can be performed cheaply and would help detect hyperplastic cells early and help avoid costly medical tourism.
Mdomo tupu!! Billionaires…
Mdomo tupu!! Billionaires die daily from cancer with the best known medical interventions at their disposal. Giant Pharmer cartels moto is ‘ there’s no money in curing, just sustain and drain as much $$$ as possible .??????
Kudis! On the advise. People…
Kudis! On the advise. People need to be more cognisant of our bodies by getting early/ yearly check ups. It’s become rampant too many dying from cancer. It’s become a sad state of life.
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I concur with Truthmeter…
I concur with Truthmeter. Let’s not go to the doctors only when we get sick. Annual checkups consisting of blood work tests, Pap smears, mammograms ,colon testing and prostrate screening are imperative.Many Kenyan men will not go to the doctors until its too late. All ladies need to have annual visits with their gyno. Can this become a reality in Kenya? The county hospitals should be offering these tests for free.
I agree. Prevention first.
I agree. Prevention first.
Thanks a lot very important…
Thanks a lot very important info our Government should take charge and make cancer screening for free cause about three quaters of the citizen can not afford and also follow up with ministry of agriculture to check on the chemicals used on farming.the government to come up with nuclear medicine experts who can advise way forward. God bless John Gitau Wairimu you are a great person.
Treatment has been tried but…
Treatment has been tried but what are the results? In light of the recent cases a patient lived with the problem for years but death came quickly upon attempts to treat.
Finding out the source and cause and avoiding them seems the only remedy for the time being, until we better understand what we are facing.
I’m a nuclear medicine/PET…
I’m a nuclear medicine/PET/CT AND CT specialist based in US. Prevention and early screening is key in eliminating cancer. I will be hosting several conferences in kenya come 2020.