Expert unveils high-intensity focused ultrasound for prostate cancer

Another medical milestone was recorded in Lagos as Professor Kingsley Ekwueme, consultant urological laparoscopic and robotic surgeon, introduced High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for the treatment of prostate cancer at The Prostate Clinic (TPC). The technology, described by Ekwueme as “small but mighty,” uses targeted ultrasound energy to destroy cancer cells within the prostate without surgery, […]

Another medical milestone was recorded in Lagos as Professor Kingsley Ekwueme, consultant urological laparoscopic and robotic surgeon, introduced High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for the treatment of prostate cancer at The Prostate Clinic (TPC).

The technology, described by Ekwueme as “small but mighty,” uses targeted ultrasound energy to destroy cancer cells within the prostate without surgery, cuts or pain, allowing patients to return home the same day.

“What you have here is a high-intensity focused ultrasound machine that delivers energy directly into the prostate to kill cancer that has been clearly identified,” he explained. “Once the information is fed into the system, the machine does the rest.”

According to him, the HIFU system is fully automated. After scanning the prostate and mapping the cancer location, treatment is delivered with a single click.

“You literally click a button and sit back to watch,” he said. “The screen shows colour changes that confirm when the cancer has been completely eradicated. Once it’s done, the machine switches itself off and the patient goes home.”

One of the most significant advantages of the technology, Ekwueme noted, is the absence of common side effects associated with prostate cancer treatment.

“There is no cut, no pain, no urine leakage, no loss of erection and no loss of ejaculation,” he said. “Patients can even manage with something as simple as paracetamol and go home the same day.”

Unlike conventional prostate cancer surgery, which involves removing the entire prostate gland, the new approach focuses only on the affected area.

“Why remove the whole prostate when the cancer is only on one side?” Ekwueme asked. “This is called focal therapy. We kill the cancer in that specific location and leave the rest of the prostate intact.”

He said the innovation is particularly important in Nigeria, where prostate cancer often affects men at a younger age, especially those with a family history of the disease.

“We are now seeing young men who have prostate cancer and have not yet fathered children,” he said. “With this technology, their prostate remains intact, erection is preserved, ejaculation is preserved, and they can still father children naturally.”

The introduction of HIFU comes months after TPC launched robotic prostate cancer surgery and weeks after performing Africa’s first UroLift procedure for enlarged prostate, making it the third major urological first by the clinic this year.

For Professor Ekwueme, the development is deeply personal.

“I returned home because I wanted to make a difference,” he said. “Our country deserves the best treatments available anywhere in the world. I don’t want any Nigerian man to receive substandard care.”

He added that extensive training has already been carried out for Nigerian medical staff to ensure safe and effective use of the technology.

“Seeing Nigerians trained and equipped to deliver this level of care gives me special joy,” he said. “It sends a message that patients no longer need to travel abroad for advanced cancer treatment.”

Describing the launch as his “Christmas gift to Nigeria,” Ekwueme said TPC remains committed to transforming prostate care and changing the face of surgery in the country.

“This is not the end,” he said, adding, “We are taking Nigeria on a completely different path in prostate cancer treatment and there is more to come.”