SpaceOAR System Helps Protect Prostate Cancer Patients
At the Middlesex Health* Cancer Center, radiation oncologists are using the SpaceOAR System to improve outcomes for prostate cancer patients while making radiation treatment safer.
Approved by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration, SpaceOAR is a tool that radiation oncologists can use when treating prostate cancer, and the Cancer Center is fortunate to be able to offer this technology to its patients at its two locations in Middletown and Westbrook.
Prostate cancer is the No. 1 cancer in men, and there are 180,000 new cases in the United States each year.
How it works
The SpaceOAR System keeps radiation from impacting normal tissue and organs that do not need treatment. It uses an injectable gel, which is naturally eliminated from the body over time, to create a temporary space between the prostate and rectum, giving Middlesex radiation oncologists more room to do their job. This limits the impact of radiation on the gastrointestinal system, allowing prostate cancer patients to receive higher doses of radiation. Treatment is more effective when higher doses are delivered.
Prostate cancer symptoms
Early prostate cancer rarely has symptoms. Dr. Edward Myer, a Middlesex urologist, says screening by your doctor may help identify prostate cancer when it is still localized to the prostate.
Dr. Myer says more advanced prostate cancer symptoms can include trouble urinating, pelvic area pain, back pain or bone pain.
*Middlesex Hospital is now Middlesex Health. This article has been updated from its original version to reflect the health system's new name and brand.
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