PROSTATE
CANCER CRYOTHERAPY
Cryosurgery Procedures
Prostate Cancer Primary
Cryotherapy Treatment
When a patient is first diagnosed with prostate cancer, a physician in the field of urology will help him decide what prostate cancer treatment is best based on a variety of prostate gland characteristics and criteria. Recent advances in cryosurgical ablation, as a minimally invasive treatment alternative to prostatectomy, have led to the ability to treat primary cancer successfully. Reported advantages of this prostate cancer treatment as first-line monotherapy are superior accuracy in probe placement and full monitoring of the freezing process, thus minimizing treatment-related complications. Perhaps one of the most important preoperative procedures is to determine if cryotherapy is suitable since patient selection is essential to positive cryosurgery results for prostate cancer.
Who’s Suitable for Prostate Cancer Primary Cryotherapy?
Cryosurgical ablation is appropriate as primary treatment for patients with organ-confined, or localized, prostate cancer or prostate cancer with minimal disease extension outside the prostate. Patients who fit the profile for primary cryotherapy ablation should have a Gleason score of six (6) or lower, and a PSA level of ten (10) or lower. They should also have a prostate gland less than 50 cc.
Who’s Not Suitable for Prostate Cancer Primary Cryotherapy?
Those who have undergone a transurethral resection of the prostate, or TURP, may not be eligible for cryoablation as primary treatment as this procedure leaves insufficient tissue for growing the iceballs necessary for ablation. Cryotherapy is currently associated with higher rates of impotence than other local treatment alternatives; therefore, patients concerned with preservation of erectile function are probably less-than-ideal candidates.
What to Expect Before, During, and After the Cryotherapy Procedure?
There are a variety of prostate cancer cryosurgery treatment modalities from which to choose, and depending on the method the treating physician deems appropriate, the procedure can vary. For example, intraoperative cryotherapy requires general anesthesia while percutaneous cryotherapy can be performed with the patient fully conscious, using only local anesthesia. Generally, the procedure involves the insertion of the very small diameter cryoablation needles through the perineum (the tissue between the rectum and the scrotum/penis) and the use of imaging devices, such as ultrasound or computed tomography (CT), to direct the physician as he or she targets, freezes, and ablates the tumor. To read more about the procedure, see Cryosurgery Treatment Process.
From start to finish, the procedure can take under two hours, and patients typically go home after 24 to 48 hours with a foley catheter in place that will remain inserted for two or three weeks. Just after cryosurgical ablation, is it normal to see a trace of blood in the urine. To keep the bladder from having spasms, a urologist may send patients home with an antibiotic and a medication. Most men are able to return to daily activities after several days.
To find out about the success rates of primary cryotherapy, click Prostate Cancer Treatment Success Rates. |
