Prostate cryoablation: prospective analysis comparing high- and low-risk prostate cancer outcomes

• Published in: Urologia internationalis Vol. 81; no. 2; p. 186
• Main Authors: El Hayek, Omar R, Alfer, Jr, Wladimir, Reggio, Ernesto, Pompeo, Antonio Carlos L, Arap, Sami, Lucon, Antonio Marmo, Srougi, Miguel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 01-01-2008
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cryosurgery; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Prostate-Specific Antigen - blood; Prostatic Neoplasms - pathology; Prostatic Neoplasms - surgery; Risk Factors; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1423-0399
• DOI: 10.1159/000144058

To evaluate percutaneous cryotherapy as a primary treatment option for prostate cancer, comparing different risk groups.
Forty-seven prostate cryoablation procedures were performed on 44 patients. Patients median age was 70.9, and average pretreatment PSA of 13.8 ng/dl. Patients were divided into low-risk (13 patients), high-risk (24 patients) and radiation failure patients (7 patients). The follow-up period ranged from 18 to 60 months (median 41 months).
In the low-risk group, we found after 12 and 24 months of follow-up, 92 and 86% of patients free of PSA relapse (PSA <1 ng/ml), respectively. In the high-risk group, the PSA failure was 39 and 52.9%. For the radiation failure group, 86 and 71.4% of patients had PSA below 1 ng/dl. At 48 months of follow-up, 80% of the low-risk patients, 42.8% of the high-risk group and 71.4% of the radiation failure group were free of PSA relapse. The complication rates were low, with 13% of urinary incontinence and no cases of rectal injury.
Prostate cryoablation is a viable and promising minimally invasive alternative for localized or locally advanced prostate cancer patients.