RADIATION ONCOLOGY

1. The clinical department of radiotherapy was accredited as the centre for Radiation Oncology by the West African College of Surgeons
2. The department was permitted to present its resident doctors for Fellowship examinations by the West African College of Surgeons and the National Postgraduate Medical College. By 1995, the first set of Resident doctors (Dr. R. Oyesegun and Dr. A. A. Adenipekun) who sat for both (Fellowship and National postgraduate) examinations passed. Among the first eight Fellows that the department produced in Radiation Oncology for the two postgraduate colleges (National and West Africa) is the first female Fellow of Radiotherapy in Nigeria, Dr T. N. Elumelu, who qualified in the year 1999.
3. For several years, the Radiotherapy department was the only regular functioning Radiotherapy centre in Anglophone West Africa countries to which thousands of cancer patients were referred for treatment.
4. Through the linkage of the department with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Physics Laboratory in the department was equipped with dosimetry equipment for radiation quality control measurement of all the treatment machines in the department. This took place between 1995 and 2006
5. Through the technical assisted project, the IAEA donated the first High Dose Rate (HDR) remote afterloader Brachytherapy unit in West Africa to the department in the year 2007. This was commissioned into clinical services in August, 2008.
6. The collaborations of the department with international bodies and especially IAEA, afforded members of staff namely Radiation Oncologists, Medical Physicists, Therapy Radiographers, Technical Officers and Oncology Nurses the opportunity to obtain fellowship to travel abroad for training courses, conferences and workshops in Radiation Oncology.
7. In 2000, the Department produced its pioneer Professor of Radiation Oncology in person of Professor Oladapo Babatunde Campbell. This boosted the academic strength of the department.
8. In recognition of the academic, research and teaching efforts of the department, the University of Ibadan upgraded the department of Radiotherapy to a full autonomous academic department in the year 2005 and appointed Professor O. B. Campbell as the pioneer head of department.
9. The department also accepts and trains undergraduate and postgraduate students from Nigerian University for industrial training.
10. The first Psycho-Oncology unit in the history of the University of Ibadan was created in the year 2010 in the department of Radiotherapy UCH, Ibadan.
11. In 2017, the department commenced a Master degree programme in Psycho-Oncology
12. In 2017, the Department produced a second Professor of Radiation Oncology in person of Professor Adeniyi A. Adenipekun
13. The department has since witnessed tremendous growth in the area of intensive training of the following personnel:

• Resident doctors from all over Nigeria.
• Radiotherapy Technologist; the Postgraduate Diploma in Radiotherapy Technology in collaboration with the University of Ibadan, Ibadan is about to commence in the department. Presently, the department is collaborating with the Radiographers Board of Nigeria in organizing a conversion programme from diagnostic Radiography to Therapy Radiography.
• Oncology Nurses through yearly oncology training workshop for Nurses all over Nigeria
• Medical Physicists (on-the-job- training) from other radiotherapy centres in Nigeria

14. The current staff strength in the Department are Radiation Oncologist (10); Resident Doctors (8); Medical Physicist (4); Therapy Radiographer (6); Engineer (4); Oncology/Clinic Nurse (6); Ward Nurse (6); Health Attendant (14); Record officer (6); Secretariat (4).

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT

1. Holistic Management of patients living with cancer
2. Clinical assessment and medical management of cancer patients
3. Planning of cancer patients for radiation therapy (Simulation)
4. Administration of ionizing radiation (Teletherapy and High Dose Rate Brachytherapy).
5. Clinical follow-up of cancer patients to assess response to cancer management, side effects to treatment and survival
6. Cancer research and training

LOCAL OR INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS

The department has established linkages with the following bodies:

1. International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Vienna Austria
2. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA
3. International Agency for Research in Cancer Lyon, France.
4. International Union for Campaign Against Cancer, UICC

CORE ACTIVITIES OF RADIATION ONCOLOGY DEPARTMENT

The Department offered the following services (Clinical, training and Research studies) towards cancer management:

1. External beam radiotherapy with Cobalt-60 machine
2. High dose rate (HDR) Brachytherapy
3. Chemotherapy
4. Psycho-oncology
5. Counselling
6. Cancer health education
7. Clinical oncology services
8. Postgraduate Residency training
9. Research studies in Radiation Oncology
10. Short Training Courses in Therapy radiography, nursing oncology workshop; psycho-oncology, radiation protection and industrial training attachment for both under-graduate and post-graduate students.