The US Oncology Network in The News

FCA Patients Among First in Florida Treated with SpaceOAR Rectum-Protecting Spacer

Trinity, Florida (March 22, 2016) – Florida Cancer Affiliates (FCA) is helping to pioneer a new tool aimed to protect prostate cancer patients from the negative effects of radiation therapy. Recently a patient, one of the first in Florida, was injected at FCA with SpaceOAR® hydrogel, the first FDA cleared spacing device to protect the rectum in men undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer. The SpaceOAR System is intended to temporarily position the anterior rectal wall away from the prostate during radiotherapy for prostate cancer, creating space to protect the rectum from radiation exposure. Dr. Lawrence Hochman and Dr. Sanjay Emandi of Florida Cancer Affiliates are the first radiation oncologists in the state certified to safely administer the SpaceOar hydrogel.

“Providing the best possible treatment to patients is our top priority, which is why we are one of the first centers offering SpaceOAR hydrogel,” said Lawrence Hochman, DO, FACRO, practice president, FCA-Tampa Bay. “FCA has a long history of bringing new technological advances for radiation therapy to the local communities in Florida. We pride ourselves with providing patients with the cutting-edge and high-quality treatment options they deserve.”

Because of the close proximity of the prostate to the rectum, prostate radiation therapy typically results in some radiation hitting the rectum, which can sometimes cause side effects. The SpaceOAR System creates space and pushes the rectum away from the prostate and the high dose area. Placed through a small needle, the hydrogel is administered as a liquid, but quickly solidifies into a soft gel that expands the space between the prostate and rectum. The hydrogel spacer maintains this space until radiation therapy is complete. The spacer then liquefies and is absorbed and cleared from the body in the patient’s urine.

“Creating space between the prostate and rectum is an important technological advance that significantly protects the rectum during radiation treatments and reduces the likelihood of early and late rectal side effects,” emphasized Sanjay Emandi, MD, radiation oncologist, FCA. “Men facing prostate cancer may have some difficult decisions to make, but utilizing SpaceOAR hydrogel during radiation therapy should not be one of them. We have successfully implemented the option of using the Space OAR hydrogel into the treatment of our prostate cancer patients and have seen excellent results.”

According to the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer is second only to skin cancer as the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men with an estimated 220,800 new cases and 27,540 deaths in the U.S. in 2015 alone. Worldwide, prostate cancer is expected to grow to 1.7 million new cases and 499,000 deaths by 2030.

FDA clearance was granted following completion of the SpaceOAR System prospective, multicenter, randomized clinical trial. SpaceOAR patients experienced a significant reduction in rectal radiation dose and severity of late rectal toxicity when compared to control patients who did not receive SpaceOAR hydrogel. The results of the SpaceOAR pivotal clinical trial were published in the August 2015 edition of the prestigious International Journal of Radiation Oncology (aka “Red Journal” see abstract).

For more information about the benefits and risks of the SpaceOAR System, call 1-855-451-7095 to schedule a consultation. The procedure is being performed in FCA treatment centers in Trinity, Brooksville and Hudson. Locate a physician who performs the procedure by visiting www.floridacancer.com.

About Florida Cancer Affiliates

Florida Cancer Affiliates (FCA) is a community-based radiation oncology, medical oncology, and hematology practice with convenient locations throughout Florida, from Naples and Ft. Myers to Trinity, Hudson, Brooksville, The Villages, Ocala and Panama City. The integrated clinical team of FCA employs the latest technologies and drug therapies to ensure patients receive advanced care close to home. The comprehensive treatment centers include outpatient treatment and diagnostic facilities providing chemotherapy, hematology services, radiation therapy including stereotactic and PET/CT imaging, clinical research, pharmacy and laboratory, as well as financial counseling and patient support services.

The practice is committed to providing patients with advanced care. They offer therapies proven to be effective, along with advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies. They also provide access to new investigational drugs through clinical trials. By participating in clinical trials that test new drugs or various combinations of treatments, patients have the opportunity to receive new therapies not yet available outside these clinical trials.

Florida Cancer Affiliates is united in healing with The US Oncology Network, one of the nation’s largest networks of integrated community-based oncology practices dedicated to advancing high-quality, evidence-based cancer care. As an affiliate of The US Oncology Network, FCA is united with more than 1,000 physicians nationwide. Florida Cancer Affiliates participates in clinical trials through US Oncology Research, which has played a role in nearly 60 FDA-approved cancer therapies, nearly one-third of all cancer therapies approved by the FDA to date. For more information, visit www.usoncology.com.

Additionally, FCA participates in radiation clinical trials through NRG Oncology, a group that conducts practice defining, multi-institutional clinical trials. To learn more about Florida Cancer Affiliates, go to www.floridacancer.com.

Media Contact
Claire Crye
The US Oncology Network
281-825-9927
Claire.Crye@usoncology.com