Cryosurgical ablation of the prostate: current technique and clinical outcomes

In addition to established therapies such as radiotherapy and radical prostatectomy, a number of newer therapies have been suggested to be effective in treating patients with clinically localized prostate carcinoma (PCA). One of these is cryoablation, a procedure that infarcts the prostate by the in situ application of percutaneous cryoprobes. Although results with this approach were mixed when introduced initially in 1993, recent improvements in technique and understanding of the mechanisms of cryo-injury in the prostate have led to renewed interest in this treatment option for patients with PCA.