RFH Healthcare launches Kenya’s first lutetium cancer therapy

KENYA – RFH Healthcare has made medical history by becoming the first hospital in Kenya, and across East Africa, to offer a highly targeted cancer treatment known as Lutetium therapy.

Located in Ruai, Nairobi, the facility is now providing advanced care for patients with late-stage prostate cancer, eliminating the need for costly travel abroad.

The treatment, officially called Lutetium-177 therapy, is now available for patients with prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumours.

This groundbreaking treatment delivers radiation directly to cancer cells, sparing healthy tissue and offering new hope for patients.

It targets a specific protein known as PSMA (prostate-specific membrane antigen), which is found on the surface of prostate cancer cells.

The therapy works by attaching radioactive lutetium to the PSMA marker and delivering radiation directly into the cancer cells, causing them to shrink or die, while leaving healthy tissue mostly unharmed.

This breakthrough treatment is paired with gallium-68 gozetotide (Locametz), more commonly known as a PSMA PET scan, which detects where cancer has spread by identifying the PSMA protein.

The two work hand in hand: the PET scan locates the cancer, and Lutetium-177 delivers the treatment precisely where it’s needed.

Approved by the U.S. FDA in 2022, this dual approach has shown to not only slow disease progression but also extend survival and significantly improve patients’ quality of life.

Unlike chemotherapy, which affects the entire body, Lutetium therapy is much more focused and causes fewer side effects.

It is delivered through an intravenous drip, travels through the bloodstream, and zeroes in on prostate cancer cells.

“This is a major step forward for cancer care in Africa,” said Dr. Maxwel Okoth, Managing Director of RFH Healthcare.

“Our goal is to ensure patients get access to world-class treatment right here at home. With Lutetium therapy now available locally, we’re not just offering hope, we’re changing the narrative.”

Until now, Kenyan patients had to travel overseas to access this level of care. RFH’s investment in high-end diagnostic tools like PET-CT and SPECT-CT scanners at its Cancer Treatment Centre has made this possible.

Installed in late 2023, these machines help doctors detect, monitor, and assess cancer with greater accuracy and speed.

Andre Lourens, a molecular imaging specialist from GE Healthcare Africa, noted that the scanners are essential not only for cancer diagnostics but also for evaluating heart and brain conditions.

Each machine can serve up to 15 patients a day, helping to reduce the backlog in specialized imaging.

Maxwell Songa, a nuclear medical physicist at RFH, emphasized the significance of this development.

“The PET-CT and SPECT-CT systems will drastically cut down waiting times and enable us to diagnose, stage, and monitor treatment with precision. Kenya no longer needs to send patients abroad for this kind of care.”

Adding to this, Isaac Munyao, a nuclear medicine technologist, explained how efficient the scanning process has become.

“A PET-CT scan now takes just under 30 minutes, making it quick and comfortable for the patient while delivering highly detailed images.”

With 11 branches spread across Nairobi, Kiambu, and Machakos counties, RFH Healthcare continues to lead in specialized services.

By offering cutting-edge cancer treatment like Lutetium therapy, it is not only enhancing access to care but also setting a new benchmark for cancer management in the region.