Anton Sagayanathan, Prasanth, Loganathan, Ajanthan, Tharakan, Ninan, Kalapara, Arveen, Antoniou, Stefan, McGhee, Luke, and Pridgeon, Simon (2024) Incidence of acute and delayed rectal toxicities following hydrogel spacer insertion in men receiving dose-escalated radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Journal Of Clinical Urology, 18 (6). pp. 474-478.

PDF (Published Version) - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a hydrogel spacer in reducing acute and delayed rectal toxicities. Materials and Methods: Patients undergoing definitive radiotherapy between January 2015 and March 2018 were retrospectively identified from our institutional cancer registry. Planning data were collected on dose-volume histograms (DVH) for V65, V70 and V75 Gy. All patients underwent definitive volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) of 78 Gy over 39 fractions in a single centre. Toxicity reporting and definitions were in accordance with Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) guidelines. Results: A total of 162 patients received radiotherapy during the study period (spacer n = 80; no spacer n = 82). Baseline characteristics between groups were comparable. Acute rectal toxicity was documented in 19 men (24%) with spacer versus 36 men (44%) without spacer devices (p = 0.007). Over a median post-treatment follow-up period of 17 months (range = 3–38 months), there was a significant reduction in delayed toxicity in men with spacers compared to men without (17 men 21% vs. 31 men 39%, p = 0.021). Conclusion: Hydrogel spacer devices reduce rectal radiation exposure in prostate cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. This translates into a clinical benefit in terms of acute and delayed rectal toxicities. Level of evidence: cohort study

Actions (Repository Staff Only)

Item Control Page