Prostate Cryotherapy performed at
Cairns Urology by
Dr Neil S. I. Gordon.

Results, Benefits and possible Side Effects

Results of Treatment for Cryotherapy

The PSA levels following Cryotherapy usually show significant decline within three months of the treatment. Sometimes a rise in PSA will occur immediately after the treatment when the damaged cells release it in to the circulation when they die. This is not harmful and does not lead to spreading of prostate cancer.

The success rate for Cryotherapy in well differentiated low stage prostate cancer has been reported as 98.6% 5 year cancer specific survival and 90% 7 year cancer specific survival.

At present although Cryotherapy is TGA approved there is no Medicare rebate for it.

Prostate Cancer Cryotherapy can be carried out in Cairns at Cairns Urology by Dr Neil Gordon, so there is no need to travel and be away from home. If you would like to know more about Cryotherapy treatments or make an appointments, please contact us .

CATEGORIES OF RISK

	T (Stage)	PSA	Gleason Score
Low Risk	T2A	PSA ≤ 10	≤ 6
Medium Risk (one of)	≥T2B	PSA >10	>7
High Risk (two of)	≥T2B	PSA >10	>7

DISEASE-FREE SURVIVAL - CRYOTHERAPY

Author	Cases	Follow-up Years	Low Risk	Medium Risk	High Risk
Bahn¹	590	7	92%	89%	89%
Donnelly²	76	5	60%	77%	48%

Side Effects for Cryotherapy

Damage to the bowel is possible but very unusual occurring less than 1% of cases.
Blood in the urine temporary and usually minor.
Urinary urgency after catheter removal (temporary).
Scrotal swelling – not painful but may take 2-4 weeks to settle.

SIDE EFFECTS IN %

Urethral Damage	6%
Incontinence	3%
Retention	3%
Pelvic Pain	4%
Impotence	80% (temporary in most)

Benefits of Cryotherapy

When Cryotherapy is compared with Radical Prostatectomy there is a considerable difference in length of hospital stay. Cryotherapy is carried out in Day Surgery so the patient goes home that day.
In addition, there are only small punctures where the needles go in compared with a large incision (cut) on the lower abdomen with the major surgery.
There are no Radioactive seeds left in as with brachytherapy and the treatment does not take 7-8 weeks to complete as with External Beam Radiotherapy.
This means that the patients are back to their normal lives sooner.

Read also:

Cryotherapy vs Other Treatments

¹ Bahn DK, Lee F, Badalament R, Kumar A, Greski J, Chernick M: Targeted Cryoablation of the Prostate: 7-Year Outcomes in the Primary Treatment of Prostate Cancer. Urology 60 (Supplement 2A): 3-11, August 2002.

² Donnelly BJ, Saliken JC, Ernst DS, Ali-Ridha N, Brasher PMA, Robinson JW, Rewcastle JC: Prospective Trial of Cryosurgical Ablation of the Prostate: Five-Year Results. Urology 60 (4):645-649,2002