Press Release – SpaceOAR™
FAIRBANKS UROLOGY IS NOW OFFERING SpaceOAR™ HYDROGEL
Fairbanks Urology to Offer Innovative SpaceOAR™ Hydrogel for Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiation Treatment. SpaceOAR Hydrogel Provides Barrier to Help Reduce Risk of Side Effects During Prostate Cancer Treatment
Fairbanks, AK, September 14th, 2020 – Fairbanks Urology announced this summer that it will now utilize an innovative technology shown in a clinical study to help prostate cancer patients avoid some of the negative effects of radiation therapy.
“The introduction of SpaceOAR Hydrogel as a pre-treatment option at Fairbanks Urology demonstrates our commitment to providing the best possible care to our patients by offering the latest innovation in treatments,” said Dr. Tony Nimeh, Urologist and Prostate Cancer Expert. “Men diagnosed with prostate cancer have some difficult decisions to make, but knowing that an option like SpaceOAR Hydrogel can potentially limit the risk of damage to other organs during radiation treatment will hopefully make a few of those decisions easier.”
Because of the proximity of the rectum and prostate, prostate radiation therapy can cause unintended damage to the rectum, which can lead to fecal incontinence issues or other long-lasting side effects. Placed through a needle, SpaceOAR Hydrogel is administered as a liquid between the prostate and the rectum, but quickly solidifies into a soft gel that expands the space and pushes the rectal wall away from the high-dose radiation area. The hydrogel stays in place for about three months. After about six months, the hydrogel is naturally absorbed into the body and removed through urine.
According to the American Cancer Society, 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.
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.
*Mariados N, Sylvester J, Shah D, et al. Hydrogel spacer prospective multicenter randomized controlled pivotal trial: Dosimetric and clinical effects of perirectal spacer application in men undergoing prostate image guided intensity modulated radiation therapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2015 Aug 1;92(5):971-7.
*Key Statistics for Prostate Cancer. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/about/key-statistics.html. Accessed February 13, 2019. 3.
*Treatment for Prostate Cancer: External-Beam Radiation Therapy. Prostate Cancer Foundation. https://www.pcf.org/c/treatment-for-prostate-cancer-external-beam-radiationtherapy/. Accessed February 13, 2019.
About Fairbanks Urology
THE FRONTIER OF UROLOGY, IN THE LAST FRONTIER.
FAIRBANKS UROLOGY IS HERE TO HELP UROLOGY PATIENTS LIVE HAPPY AND HEALTHY LIVES THROUGH HEALING, EDUCATION, AND QUALITY CARE.
Urology has been making great advances in treatment options for symptoms that plague men’s lives as they age. One of the most common conditions we see in our office is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, or BPH. BPH is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. The enlarged prostate often compresses the urinary tube (urethra), which courses through the center of the prostate, this intrusion can impede the flow of urine from the bladder through the urethra to the outside. While this may not sound concerning, the inconveniences of living with this condition can include loss of sleep, inability to travel comfortably and difficulty with completely emptying the bladder. With this situation being so prevalent, there has become a solution as simple as the problem itself. Leading the state in the most non-invasive treatment option, Dr. Tony Nimeh has been designated with a Certificate of Excellence as a result of his experience and training with the Urolift Procedure. The Urolift offers patients improved quality of life without side effects of medications and avoids more invasive surgical approaches done in a hospital. The Urolift is the frontier of urological health; reducing recovery times and improving results. For more information about the Urolift or the many other urological aspects of care that Fairbanks Urology provides, call us at 907-328-0989.