News Releases

(ST. JOSEPH) – Spectrum Health Lakeland has added a new technology for men choosing radiation therapy for prostate cancer. SpaceOAR hydrogel is a protective spacer placed between the prostate and the rectum to protect the rectum from radiation exposure during treatment. It has been clinically proven to reduce the risk of side effects during and after radiation treatment.

“Radiation therapy is extremely effective in targeting and treating prostate cancer, and with any procedure there are potential side effects which can greatly impact a patient’s quality of life,” said radiation oncologist, Peter Paximadis, MD. “SpaceOAR hydrogel allows a physician to better target the cancerous cells while preserving healthy tissue to help ensure rectal, urinary, and sexual quality of life will be maintained.”

In April 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared SpaceOAR hydrogel. It is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure with local or general anesthesia. Patients can immediately resume their normal activities. The gel stays in place for approximately three months and is then naturally absorbed and cleared in the urine in about six months.

In a clinical trial in the United States, patients who did not receive SpaceOAR hydrogel prior to prostate cancer radiation treatment experienced a decline in bowel, urinary, and sexual quality of life eight times more often than patients who received the technology.

For more information, call 269.983.8888 or visit spectrumhealthlakeland.org/spaceoar