Study suggests rectum can be protected during IMRT of prostate

I posted this in reply to a thread of David's (purgatory), but think it maybe merits a thread all of its own.


I was really pleased to find this...

I think this recent article indicates substantial progress for PCa guys receiving RT when it comes to trying not to damage their rectums (study submitted October 2013 and accepted April 2014):

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4016630/#__ffn_sectitle

It seems like the rectum can be protected if a bit of a special "PEG" absorbable gel is injected into the gap between the rectal wall and the prostate prior to doing IMRT.

The gel is put there before they do the scan and says there during the RT, but then disappears later.

I'm also pleased to note that two of the docs who worked on this study (Baukelien van Triest and Robin Kalisvaart) are from the RT department of the hospital in Amsterdam where I had my SRT - indeed Robin is my actual RT doc and Baukelien sat in on the group that planned my SRT and I've also had check-ups with her.

I would imagine that as the Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences at John Hopkins was also involved in the study that relevant docs etc in the USA are also aware of this or soon will be.

As is so often the case, it may not be much good for those already suffering side effects of RT near the rectum, but it seems like good news for those who will be treated in the future.

Alf

Alf, that's interesting. I'm only one data point, but I've had zero side effects 15 months after finishing SRT. The two things I would point to, in my case, is the use of the latest technology, with a CT scan before every treatment, and having a full bladder each and every time. Having said that, the gel seems like a good initiative.