Evercare Hospital Lekki has introduced the PSMA SPECT/CT scan, a specialised nuclear imaging service designed to significantly improve the accuracy of prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment planning in Nigeria.
The new service targets Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA), a protein that is highly expressed on prostate cancer cells, allowing clinicians to identify the precise location and extent of disease with greater clarity than conventional imaging techniques such as standard CT scans or bone scans. Hospital officials said the introduction of PSMA SPECT/CT reflects rising demand for advanced oncology diagnostics in Nigeria, as prostate cancer remains one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers among Nigerian men.
Why PSMA-targeted imaging matters
Unlike conventional imaging, which infers disease indirectly from anatomy or bone reaction, PSMA-targeted imaging works by binding directly to prostate cancer cells. Because PSMA is highly expressed in most prostate cancers, scans can visualise disease based on tumour biology rather than size alone (as with CT) or secondary bone changes (as with bone scans). This biological targeting explains why, from 2020 onward, international clinical guidelines and nuclear-medicine societies have increasingly prioritised PSMA-based imaging—particularly PSMA PET/CT—for initial staging and for evaluating biochemical recurrence.
Comparative studies published over this period consistently show higher sensitivity and specificity than conventional CT plus bone scan, with PSMA imaging frequently changing treatment decisions by revealing disease that standard imaging fails to detect.
The post-2020 period also marked a decisive acceleration in global adoption. Regulatory approvals in the United States for multiple PSMA PET tracers between 2020 and 2023 helped standardise clinical use, expand reimbursement pathways, and embed PSMA imaging into routine oncology workflows in advanced markets. In parallel, PSMA SPECT/CT gained momentum as the practical access solution in health systems where PET capacity, tracer logistics, or cost remain constraining. Using the same PSMA-targeting principle but relying on widely available SPECT cameras and established technetium-99m supply chains, PSMA SPECT/CT offers a clear step-change over conventional CT and bone scans—detecting disease earlier, reducing equivocal findings, and improving confidence in treatment planning. While PSMA PET/CT remains the global performance benchmark, PSMA SPECT/CT has emerged as the most scalable pathway for expanding precision prostate-cancer imaging beyond PET-saturated markets.
Who the scan is for
Clinicians say PSMA SPECT/CT is particularly valuable for:
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Men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer who require accurate staging
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Patients with rising PSA levels after surgery or radiotherapy
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Individuals whose previous imaging results were inconclusive
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Patients needing more precise information to guide treatment choices
By improving disease localisation, the scan can influence decisions around surgery, radiotherapy, systemic therapy, or active surveillance.
Expanding advanced cancer diagnostics in Nigeria
Health analysts note that access to advanced imaging remains a major constraint in Nigeria’s cancer-care pathway, often contributing to late diagnosis and avoidable treatment delays. The introduction of PSMA SPECT/CT at Evercare Hospital Lekki is therefore seen as part of a broader shift among private providers toward investment in high-precision diagnostics as cancer incidence rises and patient expectations evolve.
Evercare Hospital Lekki said the new service aligns with its strategy to deepen oncology capabilities and reduce the need for overseas referrals, offering Nigerian patients access to globally recognised imaging standards within the country.
