Tampa doctors first in the US to use procedure that protects healthy tissue during prostate cancer treatment
TAMPA, Fla. - Doctors in Tampa are the first in the US to offer a procedure that protects healthy tissue from radiation exposure when treating prostate cancer.
The new procedure is called Barrigel, and Tampa General Hospital along with Florida Urology Partners are the first in the Country to use the FDA-cleared technology.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men, and often radiation therapy is used to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors.
Radiation therapy uses energy beams to destroy cancer cells and stop them from spreading. With prostate cancer, though, that treatment can damage healthy tissue, creating long-term side effects.
"Radiation therapy does work in curing prostate cancer," said Dr. Ravi Bukkapatnam, the chief of the Urology Institute at TGH. "But unfortunately, a lot of these things come with side effects."
Those negative side effects can affect a patient’s quality of life. When treating for prostate cancer, radiation exposure most commonly happens to the rectum.
"The reality was that there is some collateral damage and so patients would end up with bowel dysfunction, urgency, really a change in lifestyle, certainly during therapy, but sometimes even afterwards, a long time afterwards," Bukkapatnam explained.
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The new procedure will help protect the healthy tissue during prostate cancer treatment.
"We're able to contour around the space between the prostate and the rectum and inject this gel that sort of spreads and creates a blanket between the two structures," said Bukkapatnam.
Barrigel can be sculpted for a personalized fit in about 30-minutes. The barrier staying in place for the duration of treatment, dissolving safely in about three months.
Experts said this new implant could benefit about a quarter-of-a-million men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year by protecting the tissue surrounding the prostate and reducing complications.
"I think it's exciting just to be able to have another option for patients, to be able to have the ability to maintain both quantity of life and quality of life," Bukkapatnam said. "And this Barrigel is one of those things that preserves quality of life by preserving the surrounding tissues and keeping them out of harm's way."
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Bukkapatnam said this product is a game changer in prostate cancer care, and he uses it regularly with patients.