For many cancers, personalised therapy based on laboratory diagnosis is now routine practice and producing amazing results, said Professor Abdulmumini Hassan Rafindadi, of the Department of Pathology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
“We now have the ability to tailor treatment to individuals, with targeted drugs and companion diagnostic tests. The pathologist is playing an important and central role in this new form of therapy,” he said.
The pathologist stated this during his address on ‘Pathology and Radiology Correlation of Diseases in Contemporary Medical Practice’ at the Annual General Meeting and Maiden Scientific Conference of the Association of Radiologists in Nigeria (ARIN), in Sokoto .
Explaining why personalised treatment is required, Prof Rafindadi said: “We need to personalise treatment (that is personalised medicine, stratified medicine, and precision medicine) because we are all different. We differ genetically, the bacteria and viruses that infect us differ, our lifestyles differ and the environments in which we live differ.”
These differences, he pointed out, mean that we respond differently to treatments for diseases.
The medical expert noted that the methods used to provide personalised medicine were evolving rapidly.
Rafindadi stressed the importance of timely diagnosis, adding that it should influence when and where tests are performed.
The pathologist, however added that one of the effects of personalised medicines was that many patients will live longer, “but sadly many will eventually succumb to their cancers. This will have cost implications, as many rounds of treatments may be necessary.”
He harped on the need for an improved scientific understanding of diseases by the pathologist, noting that the complexity of care increases with a matching demand on diagnostics which, he said, are expected to prove the scientific evidence necessary to optimise treatment.
“Medical imaging will have to provide its share in this regard, although the investigation of most molecules and cells requires a laboratory,” said Rafindadi
Departments of pathology, he observed, would have to change to cope with anticipated changes in the scope and depth of medical care.
He highlighted some of the areas of change to include automation, clinical translation, computing and information technology, Immunohistochemistry as well as digital pathology and image analysis.
He also pointed out that “In the laboratory, the modern era of personalised medicine demands that we use molecular techniques, the setting up of which requires huge investment in terms of manpower, equipment and reagents. On the other hand, radiologists need very expensive equipment, with commensurate running costs and maintenance.”
Rafindadi noted that machines like CT Scanners, MRI, and ultrasound cost hundreds of millions of naira, adding that government alone could not provide such funds from its coffers.
He said Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP) and the support of wealthy Nigerians could help out.
The medical expert noted that pathology and radiology form the core of cancer diagnosis in clinical practice.
President of the Association of Radiologists in Nigeria, Dr Olatunji Olubunmi, said the conference highlighted the role of imaging in management of cancer as well as the state of radiotherapy and nuclear medicine in the country, among others.
The Chairman Local Organising Committee, Dr Sule Ahmed Saidu, added that the theme of the conference sought to relate radiology with pathology to find common ground for improving healthcare delivery in line with global best practices.
