Cryotherapy treats prostate cancer by using freezing and thawing
to kill the cancer cells in the prostate gland. It is also
sometimes known as cryosurgery and cryoablation.
You may be suitable for cryotherapy if your cancer has not
spread outside the prostate gland (localised
prostate cancer). It is also sometimes used to treat
cancer that is breaking through the capsule of the prostate.
Cryotherapy is most commonly an option for men whose prostate
cancer has come back after treatment with radiotherapy or brachytherapy.
It is less often offered as a first treatment for prostate cancer.
However, it may be an option for men who are unable to have
surgery to treat prostate cancer, for
example because they have heart problems (cardiovascular problems)
which can make surgery more risky.
Cryotherapy is a relatively new treatment and we do not know
very much about how effective it is at treating prostate cancer in
the long term or how it may affect your everyday life. Because of
this, it is not widely available in the UK and is only available in
some NHS centres.
What
other treatments are available
Updated May 2010
To be reviewed May
2012