Cryotherapy to Treat Prostate Cancer

Cryotherapy is a treatment that kills cancer cells by freezing them. It is also known as cryoablation or cryosurgery.

• Thin needles called cryoprobes are inserted through the perineum (the area between the scrotum and anus) and into the prostate.
• Needle placement is guided with an ultrasound probe placed in the rectum.
• Freezing gases drop the temperature of the cryoprobes to about -40°C.
• The extremely low temperatures create ice balls. These freeze the entire prostate and some of the nearby tissue.
• Warm saline is circulated through the urethra and bladder to protect them from the freezing temperatures.

Cryotherapy may be a reasonable option for men whose cancer is contained within the prostate. It is sometimes used when radiation therapy has failed to destroy the cancer. The risk of erectile dysfunction is high with cryotherapy. And its long-term effectiveness is less certain than that of surgery or radiation therapy.