prostate-report.org

Docs Use Ice to Kill Cancer in Glasgow

Statistics show that each year dozens of men in Scotland who thought their prostate cancer had been cured find the disease has returned. In many cases there is no suitable alternative treatment left, with the risk of adverse effects outweighing the benefits.

Recently, a Glasgow man became the first patient receieving a new surgery technique: rapidly freezing.

The operation, under a general anaesthetic, involves inserting between six and 12 hollow needle-like probes into the prostate gland before passing Argon gas through them, rapidly freezing the organ to -40C.

The rapid freezing kills prostate and tumour cells, but the fact the frozen area is thawed soon after, coupled with passing warm fluid through the tube from the bladder, helps prevent damage to the surrounding area, reducing side-effects.

The procedure has been refined from earlier treatments using liquid nitrogen and earlier surgery in America has shown good results even after eight years.