ArticleFrontiers in oncology2023
A pooled long-term follow-up after radiotherapy for prostate cancer with and without a rectal hydrogel spacer: impact of hydrogel on decline in sexual quality of life.
Article in Frontiers in oncology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Does biodegradable peri-rectal spacer mitigate treatment toxicities in radiation therapy for localised prostate cancer-a systematic review and meta-analysis.Prostate cancer and prostatic diseases · 2025Pooled it
- Dosimetric Predictors of Problematic Receptive Anal Intercourse After Prostate Radiation Therapy.Advances in radiation oncology · 2026Article
- Quality of Life in Japanese Men Treated with Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer: Three-Year Longitudinal Evaluation Using Patient-Reported Outcomes of the Expanded Prostate Index Composite (EPIC).Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Association Between Rectal Spacer Use and Erectile Dysfunction Diagnosis Among Men Receiving Prostate Radiotherapy: US County-Level Analysis.Cancer medicine · 2025Article
- Rectal spacer use and bowel, urinary, and sexual dysfunction diagnosis and related procedures among men receiving prostate radiotherapy: US county-level analysis.World journal of urology · 2025Article
- Bowel Disorder Incidence and Rectal Spacer Use in Patients With Prostate Cancer Undergoing Radiotherapy.JAMA network open · 2025Article
- Role of rectal spacers in gynecological cancer radiotherapy: reducing rectal dose and treatment-related toxicity.Reports of practical oncology and radiotherapy : journal of Greatpoland Cancer Center in Poznan and Polish Society of Radiation Oncology · 2025Review
- Hydrogel technologies in andrology: advances in research and prospective applications.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Review
- Health-related quality of life in ethnically diverse Black prostate cancer survivors: a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2024Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of prostate rectal spacers on sexual quality of life (QOL) following external beam radiation therapy (RT). Methods and materials: Patient- reported QOL was evaluated using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC). Patients were pooled from two sources: a randomized controlled trial and a non-randomized cohort of patients from a single institution. Both cohorts used the same spacing product and QOL instrument. Analysis was limited to those with good baseline pre-treatment sexual QOL (EPIC >/= 60). Differences in QOL summary score and individual items were assessed compared with baseline and between treatment arms. Results: A total of 128 men had good baseline sexual function and were evaluated (64% with spacer and 36% without) with QOL data available for median 33 months (range: 2.5-69.4 months). Men without spacer were more likely to have declines in sexual function ( Conclusion: In this pooled analysis of QOL after prostate RT, the utilization of a hydrogel spacer was associated with better sexual QOL, less men with measurable declines in sexual QOL, and higher rates of adequate erectile function.
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Registered trials
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