Prostate Cancer Treatment Is About More Than Survival; It’s Also About Protecting Quality of Life 

A prostate cancer diagnosis can be a shock.

Suddenly, something that may have felt far away becomes a series of decisions about biopsies, treatment options, and what comes next.

Fortunately, for many men, there is a treatment plan. But as a physician, I believe an important part of that conversation is looking beyond treatment itself and asking a bigger question: What do you want life after prostate cancer treatment to look like?

Often, the answer is simple. They want to get back to the life they had before their diagnosis. They want to travel, spend time with their families, stay active, and continue doing the things that make their lives fulfilling.

With prostate cancer having an overall 98% survival rate at five years,¹ quality of life should be part of the treatment conversation from the beginning.

I encourage men to think about more than simply getting through treatment.

Treating the Cancer While Considering What Matters to Patients

Radiation therapy can be an effective treatment for prostate cancer, but the prostate sits directly next to the rectum. Because of that close proximity, radiation intended to treat the prostate can also reach the surrounding healthy rectal tissue. This can potentially cause bowel problems such as rectal pain, hemorrhoids, and diarrhea.²

For patients who are considering radiation, I believe this is an important conversation to have: How can we treat the cancer while also taking reasonable steps to reduce radiation exposure to the rectum?

This is where a rectal spacer can play an important role.

Barrigel™ spacer is a temporary, injectable gel made from hyaluronic acid, which is found naturally in the body.^3-5 It is designed to create additional space between the prostate and rectum before radiation treatment.⁵ By increasing that separation, Barrigel spacer can help reduce the amount of radiation delivered to the rectum and may help reduce the risk of certain radiation-related bowel side effects.⁶

A Patient Who Wanted to Keep Living His Life

I saw this perspective firsthand with a patient named Bob.

Bob had been proactive about his health for years, including routine PSA screening. After his PSA gradually increased, an MRI-guided biopsy confirmed prostate cancer. He initially chose active surveillance before ultimately deciding with his medical team that it was time to move forward with radiation therapy.

This is where a rectal spacer can play an important role.

Throughout the process, Bob remained focused on more than his cancer diagnosis. He is an active retiree who enjoys cycling, hiking, and playing pickleball with his wife. He wanted to understand how treatment decisions and potential side effects could affect his daily activities.