George Kebaso and Ben Kirira

Kenya’s fight against cancer  received a boost when an advanced screening facility was launched yesterday.

The PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan, launched at the Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) is capable of diagnosing cancer at stage one or two.

Ten patients were screened at the event to kick off a programme that will see between 40 and 50 patients screened for the disease daily.

“This is a great day for Kenya because we are starting the first PET scanning today. This is the first time it is being done in a public institution in East and Central Africa. It is only found in South Africa and North Africa,” KUTRRH Board chair Prof. Olive Mugenda said.

This is part of the government’s efforts to avert fatalities occasioned by late diagnosis of cancer.

“We have decided to do two shifts of 25 patients per machine, but today we have started with 10 patients as the process rolls out,” Prof. Mugenda noted.

 She noted that most of the Kenyans who succumb to the disease take time to go for screening.

“It is important for Kenyans to know that they don’t have to wait until the cancer is at stage three or four before they come. If they come early and get scanned on time, the chances of survival are very high,” she said.

In Kenya, cancer is the third leading cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular diseases. Data with the Ministry of Health shows that from 2012 to 2018, the annual incidence of cancer increased from 37,000 to 47,887 new cases.

In October last year, President Uhuru Kenyatta presided over the official opening of an Integrated Molecular Imaging and Hospitality Center (IMIC) facility at the hospital.

The ultra-modern IMIC is the first of its kind in Kenya and was developed as part of government efforts to expand access to cancer treatment in the country.

The centre has a capacity to host up to 100 patients and their families during their stay at the hospital.

Yesterday, KUTRRH Chief Executive Officer Dr. Victor Njom noted that IMIC will not only be doing diagnosis of cancer but also producing the isotopes, equipment used to diagnose the disease.

“They will be produced here and even be shared with other facilities in the country,” he said and explained that the main difference between PET Scans and SPECT scans, is that experts at the centre will now be able to look at the body at a microscopic level to determine the behaviour of body cells.