Nigeria’s screening push turns warning signs into early cancer detections
In Ile‑Ifé, Nigeria, Dr. Olusegun Alatise and Dr. Peter Kingham helped found the African Research Group for Oncology (ARGO) to expand colorectal cancer screening and training. Free colonoscopy pilots and provider education led to the detection of several early cancers and precancerous polyps, highlighting how delayed diagnosis drives poor survival in Nigeria and showing how screening can change outcomes. The effort, backed by NIH grants and partnerships with Memorial Sloan Kettering and the University of Alberta, also trials immunotherapy (tislelizumab) for Nigerian patients, aiming to scale Africa‑based cancer care and potentially inform global practices.
