Each year, more than 40,000 new cases of prostate cancer are reported.
A highly innovative, life changing procedure was recently carried out at our very own University Hospital Bristol for the first time on the NHS by Bristol based Professor Dahl.
The procedure is designed for use during radiotherapy. The heightened levels of radiation that traditionally occur from radiotherapy are not entirely absorbed by the prostate and can potentially affect other organs - resulting in nasty side effects such as bowel issues and impotence in later life. This groundbreaking procedure is in place to tackle this deep rooted issue.
So how does it work? Hydrogel is injected in the space between the prostate and the rectum before treatment.
This then acts as a 'spacer', temporarily increasing the space between the two and decreasing the amount of radiation able to get to the rectum and surrounding tissue.
This further enables clinicians to administer a more intense dose of radiotherapy, increasing the impact on the cancer but not compromising the patient's quality of life further down the line.
The 'Space OAR Hydrogel' which is manufactured by Boston Scientific has been clinically proven to reduce side effects in later life by over 70%.
Radiotherapy tends to be one of the first responses of treatment but each year, thousands of men are seemingly put off of receiving this treatment due to the potential risks that go hand in hand with this style of treatment.
Ground breaking new procedures like this are hoping to pave the way for a higher success rate when it comes to treating prostate cancer and to tackle the traditionally negative view of radiotherapy.
For more information about how to get tested for prostate cancer, visit: https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information/prostate-tests
