Prostate cancer patients who received the SpaceOAR System prior to their radiation therapy continue to report better long-term bowel and sexual function. Click here to read the original article.
The new 5-year long-term bowel and sexual quality-of-life results further validate the previous 3-year data of the SpaceOAR System. The study, “Quality of Life After Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer with a Hydrogel Spacer: 5-year Results,” showed that only 5% of the hydrogel-treated patients reported bothersome bowel symptoms compared with 14% in the control arm. The SpaceOAR system creates a temporary protective barrier between the prostate and the rectum wall. The hydrogel works to push the tissue apart, thus reducing the amount of radiation that reaches the rectum. The SpaceOAR system stays in place for three months, and then is absorbed by the body.