With Salvage Radiation on the Horizon - what does this group think of SpaceOAR Hydrogel ? Does it help ?

[searchingtom]

What do you all think ?

[timotur]

There’s a lot of debate on SpaceOar as to the benefit. I had it for HRD-BT + IMRT over a year ago, and the procedure to place it and the radiation was successful (see profile). It gives you about 14mm separation between the prostate and rectum. It is a somewhat difficult procedure to place the gel into a prepared incision of the fascia, but a RO who’s done it several dozen times should have no problem. Haven’t had any SE’s from it, or the radiation and it has reabsorbed now, now I can’t even tell I had it. I would do it again.

[Hidden in reply to timotur]

If you dont have a prostate I dont think space oar is a possibility.

[searchingtom in reply to Hidden]

I read somewhere that the colon is even more exposed if there is no prostate to block the radiation hitting it. I need to do a lot more research.

[timotur in reply to Hidden]

Not so fast my friend, indeed SO can be used post RP...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/253...

[searchingtom in reply to timotur]

Thank you for responding so quickly. I am leaning that way. I would have a 2 hour drive one way to the radiation treatment facility. Is there an issue with sitting after treatment ?

[timotur in reply to searchingtom]

There’s no problem sitting, I drove two hours back home the next day. I could tell something was there, but it wasn’t obtrusive. I felt it most riding a bike, but I would just lean to the side a little, and it was ok. It was never uncomfortable to the point it was a PITA... :). Best to make sure your RO has done it successfully at least a few dozen times. I saw an MRI of mine post-op and it was placed perfectly symmetrical around the anterior of the colon.

[searchingtom in reply to timotur]

Thank you for responding !

[Tall_Allen]

It is irrelevant for salvage radiation. It puts distance between the prostate and the rectum. Since you have no prostate, there is no usefulness for you. If an RO has recommended it (so thsat he can increase his fees), find a different RO. I don't think it does much even with a prostate in place.

[pjoshea13]

link.springer.com/article/1...

-Patrick

[Hidden in reply to pjoshea13]

The paper referenced above deals with the irradiation of a specific (known) recurrence volume. Distancing it from organs to be protected, does indeed make sense. In a blind irradiation, where everything is swept evenly, it doesn't. That is the reason for I have already advised searchingtom to take the PSMA PET/CT test. But, I will never cease adding the tricky thing of finding a RO that can pull this adaptation out and not put aside the PSMA findings to do "business as usual".

[searchingtom in reply to Hidden]

Agreed. I am looking at the University of Wisconsin at Madison which is in clinical trials for PET scans. I don't meet the current criteria as my PSA is below 1.0 but maybe there are similar paths available.

uwhealth.org/onlineservices...

[j-o-h-n]

I had 39 session without an Oar...A couple of years later they found damage in my left urinary tract and I had to have stents put in and out ever 3 months to develop the kidney/s function to pass urine.

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Wednesday 08/19/2020 5:55 PM DST i