Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026
05:19
A New Technique for Treating Low-risk Prostate Cancer—Super Active Surveillance
Published on: November 7, 2025
Cryotherapy for localised prostate cancer.
1Velindre NHS Trust, Research Laboratories, Velindre Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff, Wales, UK, CF4 7XL. mike.shelley@velindre-tr.wales.nhs.uk
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|July 20, 2007
Summary
Cryotherapy is a potential treatment for localized prostate cancer, but evidence is limited. High complication rates like impotence and incontinence are reported, necessitating randomized trials for definitive evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Urology
- Medical Technology
Background:
- Prostate cancer is a prevalent malignancy in older men, with standard treatments including surgery, radiotherapy, and active monitoring.
- Emerging therapies aim to reduce complications and improve efficacy, with cryotherapy being one such modality that uses freezing to destroy cancer cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical and economic benefits of cryotherapy compared to standard treatments for localized prostate cancer.
- To assess the effectiveness and safety of cryotherapy as a primary treatment for localized prostate cancer.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, etc.) for randomized trials.
- Studies comparing cryotherapy with radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy, or active monitoring for localized prostate cancer were included.
- Data extraction focused on study design, patient characteristics, interventions, and outcomes, including survival rates and complications.
Main Results:
- No randomized trials were identified; all eligible studies were case series (n=1483).
- Reported success rates varied, with one study showing 96% for total cryotherapy vs. 73% for radical prostatectomy.
- Major complications included high rates of impotence (47-100%) and incontinence (1.3-19%), with significant urethral sloughing in some cases (3.9-85%).
Conclusions:
- Cryotherapy presents a potential alternative for localized prostate cancer treatment.
- The low quality of existing evidence hinders definitive conclusions on its relative benefits.
- Randomized trials are essential to fully assess cryotherapy's potential, and patients must be informed of the low-grade evidence and reported risks.
