Patients with a Short Distance Between the Prostate and the Rectum Are Appropriate Candidates for Hydrogel Spacer Placement to Prevent Short-Term Rectal Hemorrhage After External-Beam Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer
Radiation therapy, including external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and brachytherapy, is curative for localized prostate cancer. Hydrogel spacer (HS) placement between the rectum and prostate is popular for reducing radiation-related complications. Criteria to identify patients who benefit from HS...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Current Oncology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/32/7/385 |
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| Summary: | Radiation therapy, including external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and brachytherapy, is curative for localized prostate cancer. Hydrogel spacer (HS) placement between the rectum and prostate is popular for reducing radiation-related complications. Criteria to identify patients who benefit from HS placement would be clinically valuable. In a retrospective analysis of 430 patients with localized prostate cancer treated between November 2010 and March 2023 with ≥2 years of follow-up, we evaluated the incidence of rectal hemorrhage and its association with the median distance at the midpoint between the prostate and the rectum (mDPR) on pretreatment MRI. Rectal hemorrhage occurred in 6% of HS cases and 18% of non-HS cases (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Among 268 patients who received EBRT (±brachytherapy), the incidence was 9% with HS and 30% without HS (<i>p</i> < 0.001). In non-HS cases, the rate in patients with mDPR ≤ 1.62 mm was higher than in those with mDPR > 1.62 mm (24% vs. 12%, respectively; <i>p</i> = 0.04). In patients with EBRT and mDPR ≤ 1.62 mm, HS significantly reduced hemorrhage (9% vs. 39%, respectively; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified mDPR and HS as independent predictors of rectal hemorrhage (both <i>p</i> = 0.02). Thus, HS placement may be safely omitted in non-EBRT cases with mDPR ≥ 1.62 mm. |
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| ISSN: | 1198-0052 1718-7729 |