SpaceOAR gel

Chasduc
Chasduc Member Posts: 2
edited September 2022 in Prostate Cancer #1

Has anyone had a bad experience with SpaceOAR gel?  I had the procedure on Thursday and the pain is still there today. 

Comments

  • Gforce
    Gforce Member Posts: 21 Member
    No issues

    I had the markers and SpaceOar done. No issues at all. 

  • Steve1961
    Steve1961 Member Posts: 466 Member
    Hmm,

    My stinking radiologist from the so called number 4 in the country cancer care didn't want to use the space Orr ..now I hsve rectal damage .thry say it should resolve in a month or 2

  • Gforce
    Gforce Member Posts: 21 Member
    Steve1961 said:

    Hmm,

    My stinking radiologist from the so called number 4 in the country cancer care didn't want to use the space Orr ..now I hsve rectal damage .thry say it should resolve in a month or 2

    Proton Therapy

    I had the gel inplanted. No issues. I am now just 8 treatments in. I can't believe a Dr. would not have just done it. Couldn't have hurt and could have only helped. 

  • Steve1961
    Steve1961 Member Posts: 466 Member
    edited February 2020 #5
    Needless to say I'm updet to

    Needless to say I'm updet to the point about thinking lawsuit then again I don't want bad karma 

  • Love1980
    Love1980 Member Posts: 1
    edited February 2021 #6
    Spaceoar didn't protect

    My dad had the spaceoar done in December of 2018 and he ended up doing five rounds of Radiation therapy, after the last dose of radiation he began having issues he had a anal uretha fistula he suffered for months then had to have emergency surgery his bladder, prostate and rectum had to be removed he almost bled to death. The radiation oncologist said the Spaceoar caused and unusual inflammatory response in my dad's body and radiation made it worse. If anyone is on the fence about whether or not to get the Spaceoar or not please due your research, my dad's life has changed forever. 

  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,638 Member
    edited February 2021 #7
    Love 1980: thanks for posting

    Hi Love ,

    I am sorry to hear on the occurrence in your dad's radiotherapy.  Your post is very important to those planning RT therapy. Can you please provide more details about his case. I wonder what has been the radiation protocol. You comment above that he had 5 rounds of radiation which usually regards cyberknife treatment or high-dose IMRT therapy. Do you know what has been the total Gy administered?

    I hope your dad managed to obtain a certain quality of living. 

    Thanks for reporting about his experience. 

    Best wishes 

    VGama 

  • JP63
    JP63 Member Posts: 33 Member

    I need to get some type of spacer Gel too.

    Do they do that with sedation?

  • JP63
    JP63 Member Posts: 33 Member
  • J69
    J69 Member Posts: 35 Member

    JP63, I have no idea what your history is or what treatment you have coming. If you are having a radiation treatment, usually the markers and Space OAR can be done at the same time. If you have had a biopsy then the procedure is much the same. Some have been put under general anesthesia. Some nothing but lidocaine. The RO gave me a Valium 30 minutes before the procedure. It didn’t take very long and was really a non-event. Some mild irritation for a couple of days from the needle insertion. Some feeling full in the rectum area when on the toilet and some loose stools for several weeks. The Gel is absorbed into the body in about 3 months. The Space OAR protects the rectum during the RA treatments. It is placed between the rectum and the prostate in liquid form and turns to a hardened GEL quickly. I have had no further SEs from the procedure.

  • JP63
    JP63 Member Posts: 33 Member

    The radiation doctor wanted to do 5 sessions of radiation at the beginning of the appointment but then later he changed to 25 sessions of radiation plus hormone therapy for 6 months. Just not what I though i was gonna get. I was thinking maybe brachytherapy.

    With my “good” luck I hope the SpaceOAR wont give me a reaction like the one that was described in another post. Probably there is no way of finding that out beforehand.

    The Gleason was 7 in 2 cores from 16 and my PSA was normal from 2 to 2.8. No Pirad lession seen in the MP Mri. No genetic testing done.

    How do they know that your prostate is in the right place all the time during treatment? I read that it moves all the time.

    I had my sigmoid colon removed 3 years ago because of peritonitis. Last year they told me probably it was because of Crohns disease. An autoinmune disease.

    And now this biopsy thing. Actually probably its the other way, I am lucky the biopsy hit the tumor location.

  • J69
    J69 Member Posts: 35 Member

    JP63, I didn’t know you posted your history earlier on another thread. Seems like you have been through a lot recently, but no need to panic. Many have their biopsies sent for a second opinion to John Hopkins. Your findings could be higher or lower. In any case your 4+3 finding suggest a higher risk and probably the need for ADT. What was the size of your prostate? Sometimes if enlarged the RO will want to start the ADT before the RA treatment to shrink it some. You asked about movement of the prostate. The markers placement they put in before the treatment are put into a computer program. Before every treatment the techs will have the software determine the parameters of your prostate for the treatment that day. You will have to fill your bladder everyday to protect it and your GI tract will need to be somewhat empty. The treatment itself only takes a few minutes while on the table. You feel nothing. Space Oar is somewhat new, but the procedure is done while the RO looks at a screen to make sure the placement is correct. The one poster you mentioned with all of the bad outcomes is the only one I have heard about. Don’t stress out as you are on the right track to see many more trips around the sun.

  • JP63
    JP63 Member Posts: 33 Member

    That was a very good post. Very good explanations!!

    Thanks a lot J69!!!

  • agent43
    agent43 Member Posts: 18 Member

    I am a 78 yr old with 4.26 PSA diagnosed after biopsy with 4 of 12 cores with intermediate risk cancer. After MRI it was discovered that there was cancer in the neural vascular bundle and seminal vesicle on the one side which pushed the diagnosis into the high risk category. Originally I wanted robot assisted surgery but the urologist said he would not recommend surgery under these circumstances since I would have to have external beam radiation right after the surgery. Saw a radiation oncologist who prescribed hormonal therapy and started Lupron Dec 22, 2021 (3month shots). Had fiducial markers and SpaceOAR procedures on March 11, 2022 under anesthesia at the local hospital. Was in the hospital from 11 am to 3:30 pm. Had no pain or discomfort from the procedures. The two problems were removing the adhesive tape from the hair where the dressing covered the treatment site and getting the bowel system back on line. Had no bleeding at the treatment site. Forty five IMRT treatments began March 29 and to date I have completed 29 of the 45 treatments--16 to go. The original treatment plan called for 1.5-3 yrs of hormone treatment. Only side effect from Lupron has been ED. The struggle with IMRT treatments was meeting the challenge of clearing the bowel and filling the bladder before each treatment. The SpaceOAR and fiducial marker procedures turned out to be a non event for me and I would do it again in the blink of an eye under similar circumstances.

  • agent43
    agent43 Member Posts: 18 Member

    I completed 44 IMRT treatments May 27, 2022. I have been on Lupron 90 day shots since December 22, 2021. I had my quarterly review with the Oncologist September 20, 2022. A review of all systems for possible side effects of the IMRT treatments showed the only side effect that I experienced is urinary urgency which existed prior to beginning the radiation treatments. The conclusion was that I had a "very good recovery from the IMRT treatment" and the Lupron shots. "Lower GU and LGI systems very acceptable. No complications from treatment." PSA is undetectable at <.06 and testosterone level is 7. I am very happy with the results. Time will tell how the treatment plan outcome wears over the long haul.

  • jetro
    jetro Member Posts: 1 *

    I had SpaceOAR gel inserted on 7/13/22. I constantly had the feeling of needing to have a bowl movement & bleeding, along with mucus. After about 3 weeks of this they sent me for another MRI & said that the hydrogel had penetrated my rectal wall. I've been dealing with pain, pressure, rectal urgency & bleeding for over 2 months. The Dr. says that I should get some relief after the 90 day mark of the procedure. Has anyone else had to deal with this?