[Prostate cancer: diagnosis and survival]

Clinical behaviour of prostate caner is highly variable and difficult to predict in the individual patient, but is a generally a slow growing tumor. The modern diagnostic tools (prostate specific antigen and ultrasonically guided transrectal biopsy of the prostate) allow detection of prostate cancer when it is still localized to the gland and thus, potentially curable. Current treatments, surgery (radical prostatectomy) and external beam radiotherapy, cause considerable morbidity. Considering that many men with a diagnosis of prostate cancer will not die from their prostate cancer but with it, currently "most patients are being treated in order to save a few". Furthermore, all patients subjected to aggressive treatment experiment morbidity from the beginning, hoping to obtain a survival benefit after five to ten years. There is an urgent need for new treatments with similar efficacy but with reduced morbidity. Ultrasonically guided transperineal criosurgery of the prostate is gaining momentum as a minimally invasive treatment alternative, that respects patient's quality of life and is equally efficacious.