Cancer center adds gel to help fight prostate cancer

A new gel treatment proven to protect prostate cancer patients from side effects of radiation therapy is now being offered at the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Houma.

"With the addition of SpaceOAR, prostate cancer patients can now receive treatment in a more comfortable and effective way," said Dr. Daniel Bourgeois, radiation oncologist at the cancer center. "Most patients do not even feel the gel in their bodies allowing them to focus on what's important - beating cancer and getting back to their lives."

This is the only medical facility in the region to offer SpaceOAR hydrogel. It is the first FDA-cleared temporary spacing device to protect vital organs in men being treated for the disease. The gel creates space between the prostate and rectum, and has been shown to reduce bowel and rectal reactions.

Before SpaceOAR, prostate cancer patients may have had a balloon inserted into the rectum to protect their organs during radiation treatment. The balloon was placed prior to each radiation dose, with patients receiving treatment once a day over five to nine weeks; whereas, SpaceOAR is a temporary gel and only administered once.

The SpaceOAR System is injected through the skin into the space between the patient's prostate and rectum prior to the first radiation therapy treatment. The gel remains in place for about three months during the course radiation treatment, and then liquefies. It is absorbed and cleared from the body in the patient's urine.

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in Louisiana. If caught early, five-year survival is close to 100 percent. Men should begin screenings at age 50 or 45 for African Americans or those with a family history.