Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Abington - Jefferson Health Now Offers New Hydrogel Barrier to Men Undergoing Radiation to Treat Prostate Cancer

WILLOW GROVE, Pa., Jan. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Radiation Oncology Department at the Asplundh Cancer Pavilion of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Abington-Jefferson Health is now offering men receiving radiation therapy for prostate cancer the option of having a hydrogel barrier—the SpaceOAR Hydrogel—implanted before treatment. The hydrogel acts as a spacer between the prostate and rectum, significantly lowering the dose of radiation the rectum receives. 

Rectal complications following radiation therapy for prostate cancer can cause men to experience significant rectal pain, bleeding and bowel dysfunction. This hydrogel barrier has been proven to decrease the risk for developing rectal complications.

"This new capability is part of the commitment from the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center to bring advanced care into the community setting. Patients have long benefited from access to hydrogel barrier therapy in our Center City locations. We are enthusiastic about adding this option for patients in the Abington region," said Karen E. Knudsen, Ph.D., enterprise director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health.

"The hydrogel is injected during a minimally invasive procedure by the radiation oncologist just prior to the start of radiation therapy," said Wayne H. Pinover, DO, radiation oncologist. "Placement is typically well tolerated. The hydrogel remains stable for three months, plenty of time in which to deliver radiation therapy safely. It is then slowly reabsorbed by the body over the next three months, and is completely gone six months after insertion."

For more information visit our website or call 215-481-2800.

About Abington – Jefferson Health
Abington – Jefferson Health encompasses Abington Hospital in Abington, Abington – Lansdale Hospital in Hatfield Township, two Urgent Care Centers located in Flourtown and Willow Grove, and six convenient outpatient facilities located in Willow Grove, Warminster, Blue Bell, Lower Gwynedd, Montgomeryville and Elkins Park. More than 1,400 physicians are on staff at both Abington Hospital and Abington – Lansdale Hospital. In addition, some physicians are members of Abington Health Physicians, an employed network of primary care physicians and specialists. Abington – Jefferson Health is part of Jefferson Health and Jefferson, a newly formed organization dedicated to providing the highest quality, compassionate clinical care for patients, educating the health professionals of tomorrow, and discovering new treatments and therapies that will define the future of health care.

SOURCE Abington - Jefferson Health

Related Links

https://www.abingtonhealth.org