Cryotherapy for prostate cancer

In recent years, cryotherapy has become a technique increasingly used for the treatment of prostate cancer (PC). Technological improvements have led cryotherapy to be more effective, with fewer collateral effects. The aim of this review is to critically analyse results from studies on cryotherapy for PC, either as primary therapy or as salvage therapy for local recurrence after different primary treatments. We reviewed the recent (five years) international literature by carrying out research on PubMed. Considering cryoablation as primary treatment for PC, we can assert that results in terms of biochemical recurrence are significant and complication rates are comparable to other treatments if used on the whole gland. At the same time, there is a lack of data on long-term follow-up, overall survival and disease-specific survival in prospective trials. Regarding focal primary cryotherapy, it could be considered an interesting organ-preserving treatment. Unfortunately, there are no significant prospective data on long-term oncological results and there is no consensus on how to select patients suitable for focal cryosurgery. Salvage cryotherapy is an effective and defined treatment, particularly in patients previously submitted to radiotherapy. Results demonstrate good oncological outcomes and lower morbidity than salvage radical prostatectomy. © Touch Briefings 2012.