SpaceOAR® Hydrogel Prostate Cancer Treatment

The second most common cancer in men, prostate cancer affects thousands of men in Pembroke Pines, Hialeah and Aventura. In 2019, the number of new cases of prostate cancer in the US is expected to reach almost 175,000. The treatment of prostate cancer can be particularly aggressive and can cause side effects which can be relieved in part by the use of SpaceOAR® Hydrogel.

Once prostate cancer in any form has been identified, it is important to seek out a physician such as the urologists here at Uromedix to help you make the right choices in terms of treatment. The most successful treatments for low and intermediate grade cancers of the prostate are typically radical prostatectomy and prostate radiotherapy.

Radiotherapy Treatment

One of the most difficult parts of undergoing treatment for prostate cancer are the possible side effects. Radiotherapy ( Radiation Therapy ) can cause a range side effects since the radiation directed at the prostate can pass through to the rectum creating undesirable urinary system and rectal problems. Among the prostate cancer treatment side effects often reported are erectile dysfunction, bleeding from the rectum and periods of incontinence.

Part of the reason for the most common side effects of radiation therapies designed to treat prostate cancer is the close proximity to the rectum to the prostate. Radiation often passes through the prostate and into the rectum causing temporary or permanent side effects.

The SpaceOAR Hydrogel Treatment

SpaceOAR hydrogel has been designed to provide a safe space between the rectum and the prostate
( approximately 1/2 inch of extra ‘buffer’ between the prostate and the rectum ) significantly reducing the amount of radiation passing between the two.

During your procedure, a small amount of SpaceOAR is gently inserted and acts as a spacer between the two parts of the body to protect the rectum from injury. By injecting a 1/2 inch protective layer of hydrogel into the area between the rectum and the prostate a level of protection is created. SpaceOAR Hydrogel has been cleared by the FDA.

A clinical study comparing men that weren’t treated with SpaceOAR to those who were found the untreated men were 8x more likely to suffer declines in sexual, bowel and urinary quality of life. The SpaceOAR Hydrogel is absorbed naturally into your system once the treatment is completed.

If you are being treated with radiation therapy for prostate cancer, talk to your urologist about the possibility of protecting yourself from treatment side effects with the use of SpaceOAR hydrogel.