HT and RT

Hi Coltrane

Welcome to our online community and thanks for posting your question. My name is Helen and I am one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.

Radiation therapy to treat prostate cancer can cause unintended radiation injury to nearby healthy tissue. This can lead to a range of bowel, urinary and sexual symptoms that can affect patient health and quality of life during radiotherapy, and for years afterward.

In recent years, radiation oncologists have considered use of “spacing” techniques to reduce the risk of radiation injury to surrounding tissue during radiotherapy. 

Absorbable (or biodegradable) spacers are intended to temporarily position the anterior rectal wall away from the prostate during radiotherapy for prostate cancer and in creating this space, reduce the radiation dose delivered to the anterior rectum. The spacer stays in place and is naturally absorbed into the body over a period of 3-6 months.

SpaceOAR hydrogel is an absorbable spacer made by a US company called Boston Scientific. It has been made available to some NHS hospitals, but you would need to speak to your consultant to see if it is available in your area.

I’m sorry to hear that you have developed a red, irritating patch to the top of your leg and groin area. It is not a common side effect of hormone treatment for prostate cancer.

Here at the Macmillan Support Line, we can give general advice and support. We are independent from the NHS and don’t have access to medical records so can’t give personalised information or recommend treatments.  

We would encourage you to see you GP, your hospital team or a pharmacist for assessment and further advice. We have over 3,500 Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists in Boots stores around the UK who would be able to support you on this matter.

I hope this information is useful. Please don’t hesitate to get back in contact by email, webchat or phone, if you need further information or support.

The Macmillan Support Line offers practical, clinical, financial and emotional support. You can call us free from landlines and from most mobile phone networks on 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week, 8am – 8pm.

Best wishes, Helen

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist 

Ref HK / SS

Thanks. The red patch responded well to anti-fungal cream do I don’t think its directly related to the HT. It seems that a “spacer” isn’t used here (North Wales)

Hello again Coltrane,

Thank you for getting back in touch with us. I’m Gemma and I’m one of Helen’s colleagues here at the Macmillan support line.

I understand that you are keen to have a hydrogel spacer placed before you start radiotherapy.

The company Spaceoar, make hydrogel spacers, and have this handy interactive map of where it is available in the UK, across both private and NHS providers.

The UK “National Institute for Clinical Excellence” have published their guidance and recommendations about this procedure. They set out clear instructions about who should be able to assess for, and deliver it, with the comment that there is a need for further research and evidence.

It seems that it may be available through clinical trial at Velindre hospital this year. Their clinical trials unit publish a contact number should you wish to call them to find out more.

Otherwise t may be worth discussing your rights with your local citizens advice office to find out if there is any way you can apply to have it at another NHS location, prior to your scheduled radiotherapy in May.

If you think it may be helpful to chat things over in more detail with one of the nurses here please do give us a call. We can often explain things better over a spoken call with the opportunity to ask questions.

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email. 

Ref/JL