By Chioma Obinna

Nigeria has recorded a major milestone in cancer treatment with the introduction of artificial-intelligence–driven focal therapy for prostate cancer by The Prostate Clinic, TPC, a technology that can eradicate cancer without surgery, pain or loss of sexual function.

The new system, based on high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), has been deployed in Lagos under the leadership of Prof. Kingsley Ekwueme of TPC, marking what experts describe as a turning point for men’s health in the country.

TPC was established by Professor Kingsley Ekwueme, a UK-trained robotic and laparoscopic surgeon pioneering advanced, minimally invasive prostate cancer and enlargement treatments in Nigeria.
The HIFU system follows earlier introductions of robotic surgery and minimally invasive treatment for enlarged prostate this year by the hospital.

Briefing journalists on the latest addition, elated Ekwueme said: “What you have here, I can summarise it as small but mighty. You’ve got a high-intensity focused ultrasound scan that delivers ultrasound energy into the prostate and kills prostate cancer specifically where it has been identified. This is my Christmas present to Nigeria. And we are not done yet.”

Unlike conventional surgery, he explained that the HIFU system does not require cutting or removal of the prostate. Instead, it uses advanced imaging and artificial intelligence to target only cancerous tissue, preserving the rest of the gland.

“It’s a fully automated machine with artificial intelligence. Once you feed in the information about where the cancer is, you just click one button and the treatment is delivered. You sit back and watch it happen,” Ekwueme explained.

Giving insights into how the machine works, he said: “As treatment progresses, real-time colour changes on the screen indicate when the cancer has been completely eradicated. Once it’s done, the machine switches itself off and the patient is cured,” he said.

He said patients are discharged the same day. “There is no cut, no pain. You can have it in the morning and by evening you’re back home enjoying yourself.”

Continuing, he stated that the innovation is particularly significant for younger Nigerian men increasingly diagnosed with prostate cancer due to hereditary risk factors.

“We’re now seeing young men, some of whom have not fathered a child. With this technology, you can fully cure the cancer while keeping the prostate intact. Erection is preserved, ejaculation is preserved, and the man can father a child naturally,” he stated.

He said some of the side effects commonly associated with prostate cancer treatment such as urine leakage, loss of erection and loss of ejaculation are eliminated. “All these side effects are zero with this machine. A few patients may just take paracetamol, like for a headache. That’s it.”

Describing the technology as “focal therapy,” Ekwueme said it represents a shift in thinking.

“The prostate is like a walnut. If the cancer is on one side, why remove the whole prostate? Now you can kill the cancer in that specific location without affecting the rest.”

Beyond the clinical breakthrough, Ekwueme said the development carries national significance.
“I feel our country has been left behind in fast-developing medical treatments, especially cancer. That is very personal to me.”

He said his decision to return to Nigeria to establish advanced urological services was driven by a desire to raise standards.

“I don’t want any man in Nigeria to receive substandard treatment. I want Nigerians to have the same first-class care I give my patients in the UK.”

He further noted that local capacity building has been central to the project, with Nigerian clinicians trained to operate the system safely. “That gives me special joy. It also sends a message that Nigerians don’t always have to go abroad for treatment. We can do it here,” Ekwueme said.