Can a gel cushion shield the rectum during prostate radiation?
NCT ID NCT06594887
First seen Sep 21, 2026 · Last updated Sep 21, 2026
Summary
Researchers are studying whether placing a spacer between the prostate and rectum can protect the rectum during proton beam therapy for localized prostate cancer. The trial enrolls up to 50 adults with early-stage prostate cancer who are scheduled for this radiation. Participants receive either a hydrogel spacer or a biodegradable balloon spacer before treatment. The study measures how far the spacer separates the prostate from the rectum and how much radiation reaches the rectum.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- A hydrogel spacer or a biodegradable balloon spacer placed between the prostate and rectum
- What this could lead to
- If the spacers hold the prostate away from the rectum as intended, this could lower rectal radiation exposure and may reduce bowel side effects from proton beam therapy.
- What could go wrong
- The study is small and does not compare spacer use against no spacer, so it cannot prove that spacers improve outcomes. Spacer placement is a procedure and carries risks such as infection, pain, or the spacer moving out of position.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2024
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Male participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria 1. Subjects greater than 18 years old with prostate cancer 2. Subjects must have histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate with biopsy taken within 12 months and must be planned to undergo proton beam therapy with rectal spacer 3. Subjects must have clinical stage T1-T3 with no posterior extra capsular extension of the prostate cancer 4. PSA less than or equal to 20 ng/mL 5. Gleason Score less than or equal to 7 6. Capacity to comprehend and readiness to sign a written informed consent form Exclusion Criteria 1. Planned Pelvic lymph node radiotherapy. 2. Metastatic disease. 3. Prior local prostate cancer therapy 4. Active Inflammatory bowel disease requiring treatment with steroids. 5. Prior radical prostatectomy. 6. Active urinary tract infection. 7. Acute or chronic inflammation or infection of the prostate.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Procure Proton Therapy Center
Somerset, New Jersey, 08873, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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