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Disorders of the Male Reproductive System

Disorders of the Male Reproductive System

Men's health issues are increasingly recognized as significant, with several conditions posing common threats. Among these, testicular cancer is especially prevalent in younger men, particularly those aged 20 to 35 years. The disease often manifests as a painless mass in the testicles, sometimes accompanied by a sensation of heaviness or a dull ache.
Prostate disorders are another major concern. These conditions can impair urinary flow due to the prostate's location around the urethra....

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Updated: Jan 8, 2026

Isolation of Adipose Derived Regenerative Cells for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction Following Radical Prostatectomy

Isolation of Adipose Derived Regenerative Cells for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction Following Radical Prostatectomy

Published on: December 28, 2021

Association Between Rectal Spacer Use and Erectile Dysfunction Diagnosis Among Men Receiving Prostate Radiotherapy:

Ryan Hankins¹, Sean P Collins², Ryoko Sato³

¹Department of General Urology, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.

Cancer Medicine

|December 13, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Rectal spacers significantly reduce erectile dysfunction (ED) prevalence in prostate cancer (PCa) patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT). Increased spacer use showed a notable decrease in ED rates after a 4-5 year period, supporting their long-term benefit.

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Proton Therapy Delivery and Its Clinical Application in Select Solid Tumor Malignancies

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Published on: February 6, 2019

Area of Science:

Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Urology

Background:

Rectal spacers are used during prostate cancer radiotherapy (RT) to mitigate side effects.
Previous studies suggested a link between rectal spacers and reduced erectile dysfunction (ED) post-RT.
Real-world, large-scale data on the association between rectal spacer use and ED prevalence were lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the association between rectal spacer utilization and the prevalence of ED diagnosis in prostate cancer (PCa) patients receiving RT.
To analyze this association at a US county level using real-world data.

Main Methods:

Utilized Medicare 5% and 100% Standard Analytic Files for county-level analysis of PCa patients undergoing RT (Jan 2015-Mar 2023).
Assessed county-level ED prevalence as the primary outcome and rectal spacer use proportion as the primary explanatory variable.
Employed zero-inflated Poisson regression, controlling for patient and population characteristics, with state-level fixed effects.

Main Results:

Included 247,250 PCa patients across 3132 counties; average annual ED prevalence was 1.3%.
Rectal spacer use increased from 2.9% to 18.9% during the study period.
Higher county-level rectal spacer use 4-5 years prior was associated with significantly lower ED prevalence (e.g., 10% increase linked to 7.7-8.4% ED reduction).

Conclusions:

This is the first large-scale real-world study demonstrating an association between rectal spacer use and reduced ED prevalence in PCa patients post-RT.
Increased rectal spacer use correlates with significantly lower ED prevalence, with benefits observed after a 4-5 year delay.
Findings support the long-term efficacy of rectal spacers in preserving sexual function for PCa patients undergoing RT.