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Cryotherapy: A January 2009 expert overview
A small international group of very highly respected experts has just published an important review of the current evidence surrounding the application of a number of the new and/or evolving treatments available for management of localized prostate cancer, with an emphasis on the potential of focal therapy.
- Recent interest in focal therapy for prostate cancer has been driven by downward stage migration, improved biopsy and imaging techniques, and the prevalence of either unifocal cancer or a dominant cancer with secondary tumors of minimal malignant potential.
- Several techniques have potential for focal ablation of prostate cancer.
Writing about cryotherapy, they state that:
- Cryotherapy has been used for some time as a form of first-line therapy for complete ablation of the prostate or and as a second-line therapy for local recurrence after radiotherapy.
- Enthusiasm for cryotherapy as first-line therapy has been tempered by the uncertainty about complete ablation of the cancer, the frequent persistence of measurable PSA levels after the procedure, and a high rate of erectile dysfunction.
- To date, studies have reported the applicationof ”focal ablation” of prostate cancer with cryotherapy, targeting one lobe (either the left or the right side) of the gland to eliminate a cancer confined to that lobe with less risk of urinary or sexual complications.
- Whether cryotherapy has sufficient power to eradicate focal cancer and can be targeted with sufficient accuracy to avoid damage to surrounding structures remains to be demonstrated in prospective clinical trials.
NOTE: Issues on this site regarding prostate cancer and treatment options, are provided for
information only, and are not meant to substitute for the advice of your own physician or other medical professional.
Prostate-Report.org does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment.
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