Abstract
Radiotherapy of prostate cancer represents one of the major therapeutic options for treatment of localized or locally advanced prostate cancer. The major drawbacks represent frequency and severity of posttherapeutic side effects, same as after surgical treatment.
In radiotherapy the main complications are gastrointestinal and urogenital toxicity. Despite great development in radiotherapy recently, these side effects of radiotherapy have not been eliminated.
Recently published studies, describing the use of perirectal polyethylene glycol (PEG) (SpaceOAR™ Hydrogel), might offer very promising results regarding the side effects of radiotherapy. This injectable biodegradable hydrogel creates space between the prostatě and rectum before prostate radiotherapy and it is approved by Food and Drug Administration for this use since 2015.
Despite the fact, that it has become a part of national guidelines in many countries and reached clear popularity and widespread abroad, it is still rare in Czech Republic. Objectives: to summarize available information and data about usage of PEG hydrogel in radiotherapy for prostate cancer, extended by our own experience with the first cohort of 81 patients after SpaceOAR™ Hydrogel application in Czech Republic.