PROSTATE
CANCER CRYOTHERAPY
FAQs
How does Cryotherapy Compare to Traditional
Prostate Cancer Treatment Options?
What Should Patients Expect After
Prostate Cancer Cryosurgery?
When is Cryosurgery for Prostate Cancer Recommended?
How does Cryotherapy Compare to Traditional Prostate Cancer Treatment Options?
Prostate
cryosurgery has a large advantage over most
other prostate cancer treatments; it is a minimally
invasive procedure. While a different treatment
for prostate cancer may require invasive surgery
or removal of the prostate, cryosurgery does not.
As such, prostate
cancer cryosurgery allows for a faster recovery.
This quick recovery is much faster than the time
required for a patient to recover from prostate
cancer radiation treatment or radical surgery.
Prostate cryoablation has proven to
be just as effective for treating prostate cancer
than radiation therapy. Recent studies indicate
that cryotherapy
ablation treatment with new-generation instruments
show a 95% survival rate at five years.
Benefits of Cryosurgical Ablation Treatment to Prostatectomy
Cryosurgical
ablation of the prostate is a two-hour procedure
that usually requires the patient to stay no more
than one night in the hospital. Two to three days
later, the patient is often able to resume a normal
lifestyle. With radical prostatetectomy, a two
to three hour procedure that removes the prostate
usually requires three days in a hospital. Recovery
time thereafter is usually three to five weeks.
In cryotherapy
ablation, incontinence and rectal injury side
effects are low. A radical prostatectomy has a
much higher incontinence
level and rectal injury side effect. Both prostate
cancer treatment options have a high rate of impotence.
The Benefits of Cryoablation Treatment
to Radiation Treatment
Prostate cancer radiation therapy requires a six to eight week treatment and brachytherapy permanently implants 80 to 100 radioactive pellets into the prostate. Radiation therapy leaves a sense of fatigue in patients for a time of approximately two months. Patients with brachytherapy are in and out of the hospital just as fast as cryotherapy patients. However, with brachytherapy there is a period of up to three months of pain and rectal problems. Once again, cryotherapy has lower side effects in incontinence and rectal injury. However, cryotherapy’s impotence rate remains higher.
With today’s technological advances
in cryotherapy treatment, including Galil Medical’s
patented Presice™
system, temperature monitoring and cryoablation
needle technology success rates continue to increase
while side effects decrease. Click cryosurgical
ablation Treatment
Success Rate for more information.
What Should Patients Expect After Prostate Cancer Cryosurgery?
Cryosurgery prostate cancer patients
should expect a quick recovery and return to a
normal quality of life in a matter of a few days.
The prostate cryosurgery patient typically leaves
the hospital or surgery center the same day as
the procedure. A catheter is left in place for
an average period of less than one week or until
the patient is able to urinate on his own. If
the patient is unable to urinate on his own, the
catheter will be left in place for a longer period.
Cryosurgery Treatment Results for Prostate Cancer
Results for cryosurgical ablation of the prostate have been consistent, if not slightly better, than traditional prostate cancer radiation treatment or prostatectomy treatment options. Not only has cryotherapy ablation shown to be effective, but common side effects are also decreased. See cryosurgery for prostate cancer Treatment Success Rate to learn more about cryotherapy ablation success.
Side Effects After Cryosurgery and Prostate Cancer
A number of side effects are also associated with
prostate
cancer cryotherapy ablation treatment. Swelling
and soreness may persist for a few days after
surgery. Ice is recommended for the affected area
for a short period of time to help control swelling.
Urinary incontinence
affects only a small percentage of cryosurgery
treated patients. The most common side effect
is male impotence.
With constantly expanding technology for minimally
invasive procedures, these side effects are decreasing.
See cryosurgery in prostate cancer Treatment
Side Effects to learn more information about
common side effects of cryotherapy.
Cryosurgical Ablation Follow-Up Care
Patients should expect consistent follow-up with a prostate cryoablation specialist to monitor the treated cancerous area. PSA tests will be done regularly to monitor PSA levels. A biopsy will also be performed after six months to help confirm the cancer was destroyed. Any rises in the PSA level will urge the need for a biopsy to confirm any recurrence. Naturally, any symptoms that occur need to be discussed with a physician. For more information, see prostate cancer treatment options Follow-Up Care.
When is Cryosurgery for Prostate Cancer Recommended?
Cryosurgery in prostate cancer is particularly well suited for three groups of patients.
• Patients who have developed a prostate cancer recurrence following some form of radiation therapy. This type of patient cannot tolerate an additional prostate cancer radiation treatment, as it would likely do more harm than good. A salvage prostatectomy is often associated with significantly greater morbidity. Therefore, prostate cancer cryosurgery is the only treatment that can be used in this scenario.
• Cryotherapy is an excellent minimally invasive option for men who either do not want or are not good candidates for radical surgery, such as those with prior pelvic surgery or radiation or who are obese.
• Cryotherapy may be a reasonable option in men with a narrow pelvis or who cannot tolerate external beam radiation including those with previous pelvic radiation, or who have inflammatory bowel disease or rectal disorders. As cryotherapy is an outpatient procedure or may only require an overnight stay, it is also a very good option for patients who are either not willing to commit the time to external beam radiation or, because of their distance from a radiotherapy facility, not willing to relocate their home and/or job in order to complete the treatment.
• Although brachytherapy is an excellent treatment option for low grade localized disease, cryotherapy could be considered as an alternative for those patients with Gleason 7 and higher grade disease or with a PSA levels >10 ng/mL but <20 ng/mL.
• Patients with significant medical problems or older men where radical prostate surgery is too risky. The minimally invasive surgery, cryosurgical ablation, is the only option for these men.
Prostate
cryosurgery is also well suited for patients
who do not want a fully invasive prostatectomy
or undergo radiation therapy. Because prostate
cryoablation is a minimally invasive procedure,
it provides a middle ground for patients who are
not satisfied, or refuse to undergo radical treatments
and do not believe in watchful waiting.
Localized Prostate Cryoablation Treatment
General recommendations for the use of prostate
cancer cryosurgery involve a localized cancer.
Cancer that has not become metastatic and spread
to bones or the lungs can be treated with cryotherapy.
Patients who were diagnosed in the early prostate
cancer stages may be eligible for focal
cryotherapy. Focal cryosurgical treatments
involve treating only the affected half of the
prostate during the early prostate cancer stages.
If prostate cancer is diagnosed early, focal
cryosurgical ablation of the prostate will
be a good option for men who want to maintain
a normal quality of life as severe side effects,
like impotence, are drastically lowered.
|
