FROM UNITED HOSPITAL CENTER

 

United Hospital Center has added a new pre-treatment option, SpaceOAR™ Hydrogel – the first and only FDA-cleared spacer to help reduce the radiation dose delivered to the rectum of men undergoing radiation treatment for prostate cancer. SpaceOAR is aimed at reducing rectal complications and helping patients to maintain their quality of life after radiation treatment.

”The introduction of SpaceOAR Hydrogel as a pre-treatment option at United Hospital Center demonstrates our commitment to providing the best possible care to our patients by offering the latest innovation in treatments,” said Grant L. Franklin, Jr., MD, urologist at UHC Urology. 

 

Due to the proximity of the prostate tothe rectum,prostate radiation therapy can cause unintended damage to the rectum, which can lead to fecal incontinence issues or other long-lasting side effects.

 

SpaceOAR Hydrogel is an absorbable gel inserted via a minimally invasive procedure that creates a temporary space between the prostate and the rectum – allowing the doctor to complement the patient’s radiation treatment to better target their cancer while preserving healthy tissue.

 

The hydrogel spacer remains in place for about three months. After about six months, the hydrogel is naturally absorbed and cleared from the body in the patient’s urine.

 

“We understand that men diagnosed with prostate cancer may have some difficult decisions to make, but knowing that an option exists such as SpaceOAR Hydrogel, will hopefully make this an easy choice,” said Michael A. Stewart, MD, radiation oncologist at UHC. 

 

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, with more than 183,000 new cases diagnosed each year.More than 60,000 American men opt to treat their prostate cancer with radiation every year.

 

In a randomized clinical study, men who underwent radiation therapy without SpaceOAR Hydrogel were eight times more likely to experience a decline in bowel, urinary, and sexual function, when compared to men who underwent radiation therapy with SpaceOAR Hydrogel, at a median follow-up of three years.

 

SpaceOAR Hydrogel is made up of two liquids that – when combined – form a soft gel material mostly made of water. Studies have shown that the material is biocompatible, that it can be used in the body without causing injury or a reaction, and it can also be safely absorbed by the body. The material that the SpaceOAR Hydrogel is made from has been used in other implants, such as surgical sealants used in the eye, brain, and spine.

 

FDA clearance was granted for SpaceOAR Hydrogel following completion of a prospective, multicenter, randomized clinical trial. SpaceOAR patients experienced a significant reduction in rectal radiation dose and severity of late rectal toxicity when compared to control patients who did not receive SpaceOAR Hydrogel. The full pivotal clinical trial results have been published in the peer-reviewed Red Journal.For more information, visit UHC or go to www.wvurology.com/spaceoar or www.wvcancercenter.com/spaceoar.