SpaceOAR™ Hydrogel Protects Healthy Tissue During Prostate Cancer Treatment

During radiation treatment for prostate cancer, the rectum can sometimes be affected because most prostate tumors develop close to the rectal wall. This can lead to bowel issues such as diarrhea, bleeding, or pain, which may be temporary or persistent. Your care team at Colorado Springs Urology works to protect the rectum during treatment using SpaceOAR Hydrogel. This gel creates a temporary space between the prostate and rectum, reducing the risk of side effects. SpaceOAR is the first FDA-approved device available for this purpose and can be safely used with all types of radiation therapy.

The SpaceOAR System is a gel that your doctor places between the prostate and rectum before radiation therapy. This helps protect the rectum from radiation exposure and reduces side effects. The procedure is quick, minimally invasive, and can often be done alongside other preparations for your treatment. The gel stays in place for about 3 months during radiation, then gradually dissolves and leaves your body naturally, with no removal procedure needed. Most patients do not feel the gel once it’s in place.

The SpaceOAR System is beneficial for patients undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer to protect the rectum from radiation, reducing both short-term and long-term side effects like bowel, urinary, and sexual dysfunction. It is most helpful for patients at a higher risk for these side effects, those who may be ineligible for other tracking methods like fiducial markers, and individuals who wish to preserve their quality of life during and after treatment.

Some benefits of this treatment include:

• The goal of radiation therapy is to deliver the highest possible radiation dose to the tumor while minimizing exposure to nearby normal tissue. Since the prostate and rectum are positioned very close together, separated by only a small space, the rectum may be at risk of radiation exposure during prostate cancer treatment. Separating the prostate from the rectum with SpaceOAR hydrogel reduces radiation exposure to the rectum during treatment. It may reduce or even eliminate damage to the rectum and related side effects.
• One year after radiation treatment, clinical trial patients who received SpaceOAR were 46 percent less likely to experience long-term bowel quality-of-life issues, such as diarrhea, rectal urgency, and incontinence, than those who did not receive SpaceOAR. As a result, SpaceOAR helped men to maintain their normal activities and lifestyle.