PROSTATE
CANCER CRYOTHERAPY
Cryosurgery Procedures
Cryosurgery Process
for Prostate Cancer Treatment
Cryosurgery for prostate cancer treatment works best on prostates 40 grams or less in size. Three to six months prior to prostate cryosurgery, the patient may be placed on hormone therapy to block production of male hormones, which causes prostate cancer to grow. Hormone therapy, another prostate cancer treatment option, shrinks the prostate and cancer prior to cryotherapy and improves the chances of freezing the entire prostate.
During the minimally invasive procedure, multiple cryoablation needles are inserted into the prostate through the perineum (the area between the anus and scrotum). This is done with the patient under general or local anesthesia, with general being less common. An ultrasound probe inserted in the rectum monitors the prostate during the cryosurgical treatment.
Cryotherapy in Prostate Cancer Patients
During cryosurgery for prostate cancer, the patient is placed in the dorsal lithotomy position. This position places the patient so that his legs are opened and lifted to a 90-degree angle. The perineum is placed over the edge of the operating table. The dorsal lithotomy position gives the doctor a clear view of the insertion point for the minimally invasive surgery.
While the prostate cancer cryosurgery patient is anesthetized the doctor uses ultrasound guidance to insert 6-8 small cryoablation needles through the perineum into accurate locations in the prostate gland. A warming catheter is used to protect the urethra from freezing since the urethra passes through the prostate gland. Thermal sensors keep track of the temperature around the prostate to avoid damage to the bladder and rectum. This helps avoid damage to nearby organs and dramatically lowers the rates of incontinence or other side effects. When the needles are in place, a freezing agent, typically argon gas, is injected through the cryoablation needles to create negative 40 degree Celsius temperatures. This creates a lethally cold ice ball that freezes the prostate and the cancer cells in it. Once frozen, a different gas in injected into the needle to instantly warm it up. The thawing process ruptures and kills the cells in the prostate gland. This is called the freeze-thaw process. This process is repeated to ensure all cancerous cells are destroyed and help stop future prostate cancer recurrence.
Throughout the cryosurgery for prostate cancer procedure, temperature monitors are used to allow physicians to determine when target temperatures have been reached. The cancer tumor and its blood supply are destroyed and the dead tissue is re-absorbed or remains in the body as harmless scar tissue.
When the freeze-thaw process is finished, the warming catheter is removed and a urinary catheter is inserted in place to help with any urinary incontinence. The urinary catheter is typically removed after two or three days; unless incontinence persists.
Cryosurgery results for prostate cancer are generally well received. Read more about cryosurgery treatment success rates. |
