Cryotherapy (also known as cryosurgery or cryoablation ) is the use of very cold temperatures to freeze and kill most of the prostate as well as prostate cancer cells. Although sometimes called cryosurgery, it is not actually a type of surgery.
Cryotherapy treatment for prostate cancer freezes the prostate tissue, causing cancer cells to die. As a minimally invasive procedure, cryotherapy for prostate cancer is sometimes used as an alternative to surgical removal of the prostate gland.
It can be used in the treatment of men with early stage prostate cancer. Cryotherapy for prostate cancer may be an option for men whose cancer returns after other treatments.
How Is Cryotherapy Done?
This type of procedure requires spinal or epidural anesthesia (the lower half of your body is numbed) or general anesthesia (you’re asleep).
The doctor uses transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) to guide several hollow catheters (needles) between the anus and scrotum and through the skin to the prostate. Very cold gases are passed through the needles to freeze and destroy the prostate. The doctor carefully monitors the ultrasound during the procedure to ensure that the prostate is destroyed without causing too much damage to nearby tissues. Warm saline is passed through a catheter in the urethra through a frost-free procedure. The catheter is left in place after a few weeks to allow the bladder to drain while it heals.
After the procedure, you may need to stay in the hospital overnight, but most men go home the same day.
Cryotherapy is less invasive than surgery, so there is usually less blood loss, shorter hospital stay, shorter recovery time, and less pain. But compared to surgery or radiation therapy, doctors know much less about the long-term effectiveness of cryotherapy. As with brachytherapy, this may not be a good option for men with large prostate glands.
Types of Cryotherapy
There are two types.
- All prostate cryotherapy treats the entire prostate, which includes both cancer cells and healthy prostate tissue .
- Focal cryotherapy, It only treats the area where the prostate is cancer. It uses fewer needles, which means that less healthy tissue is frozen more than with whole prostate cryotherapy.
Focal cryotherapy is not suitable for all men. This will depend on the size of your cancer and where it is in your prostate.
Risks
Side effects of cryotherapy for prostate cancer can include:
- Erectile dysfunction
- Scrotum and penis pain and swelling
- Frequent, difficult, or painful urination
- There is blood in your urine
- Loss of bladder control
- Bleeding or infection in the area being treated
Rarely, side effects can include:
- Injury to the rectum
- Blockage of the tube (urethra) that carries urine from the body
- Infection or inflammation of the pubic bone
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages?
If you are considering cryotherapy, talk to your doctor or nurse before you decide whether to have it – they can help you choose the right treatment for you.
Advantages
- It is less invasive than some other treatments with little or no bleeding.
- Only one day or one night stay in the hospital.
- Recovery is usually rapid, and most men return to their normal activities within a few weeks.
- This method can be used if your cancer has come back after radiotherapy or brachytherapy.
- If your cancer comes back after the first treatment, you may receive cryotherapy again.
Disadvantages
- You may get side effects that can affect your daily life, such as erection and urinary problems.
- Compared to other treatments, it is unknown how well it works or the risk of side effects in the long term.
- You will need a general anesthetic, so you will need to stay in the hospital for a day or overnight.
