Effectiveness and Safety of Chemotherapy Associated with Hydrogel Spacers in Prostate Cancer Treatment: A Scoping Review

Prostate cancer remains one of the most prevalent malignancies among adult men, and advances in biotechnology have contributed to the development of innovative therapeutic strategies aimed at improving treatment effectiveness and safety. Among these strategies, hydrogel-based systems (including hydrogel spacers and nanotechnology-enabled drug delivery platforms) have emerged as promising tools when combined with chemotherapy, potentially enhancing drug targeting while reducing treatment-related toxicity. This scoping review aims to map and synthesize the available scientific evidence on the use of hydrogel-based systems, in association with chemotherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. The review will evaluate therapeutic effectiveness and safety outcomes in adult patients, with an emphasis on clinical and translational research conducted in human populations. The methodology will follow the scoping review framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley, in accordance with established methodological guidance for this type of study. The eligibility of studies will be structured using the PCC framework. The population will include adult patients who have undergone treatment for prostate cancer. The concept will encompass the application of biotechnology through nanopharmaceuticals and hydrogel-based systems for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes, particularly when associated with chemotherapy. The context will be limited to human studies, including clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. The research question guiding this review is whether chemotherapy associated with hydrogel spacers increases effectiveness and safety in the treatment of patients with prostate cancer. The descriptors used for the search strategy will be based on DeCS and MeSH terms, including “Prostate Cancer,” “Hydrogel,” and “Chemotherapy.” A systematic search will be conducted in the PubMed, ScienceDirect, LILACS, Embase, and Scopus databases using controlled vocabulary and free-text terms related to prostate cancer, hydrogels, and chemotherapy. The primary search string applied across databases will include combinations of the terms “prostate cancer,” “hydrogel*,” and “chemotherap*,” as well as related expressions such as “drug-loaded” and “anticancer agents.” Study selection will be performed by two independent reviewers using a blinded screening process within the Rayyan platform. Any disagreements will be resolved by consultation with a third reviewer. The researchers of this scoping review are expected to provide an overview of current evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of chemotherapy associated with hydrogel-based systems in prostate cancer treatment, identify knowledge gaps, and support future clinical research and therapeutic development in this field.