Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2026
A New Technique for Treating Low-risk Prostate Cancer—Super Active Surveillance
Published on: November 7, 2025
Prostate cryoablation: prospective analysis comparing high- and low-risk prostate cancer outcomes
Omar R El Hayek1, Wladimir Alfer, Ernesto Reggio
1Divisão de Clínica Urológica, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. hayek@uol.com.br
Aim:
To evaluate percutaneous cryotherapy as a primary treatment option for prostate cancer, comparing different risk groups.
Patients And Methods:
Forty-seven prostate cryoablation procedures were performed on 44 patients. Patients median age was 70.9, and average pretreatment PSA of 13.8 ng/dl. Patients were divided into low-risk (13 patients), high-risk (24 patients) and radiation failure patients (7 patients). The follow-up period ranged from 18 to 60 months (median 41 months).
Results:
In the low-risk group, we found after 12 and 24 months of follow-up, 92 and 86% of patients free of PSA relapse (PSA <1 ng/ml), respectively. In the high-risk group, the PSA failure was 39 and 52.9%. For the radiation failure group, 86 and 71.4% of patients had PSA below 1 ng/dl. At 48 months of follow-up, 80% of the low-risk patients, 42.8% of the high-risk group and 71.4% of the radiation failure group were free of PSA relapse. The complication rates were low, with 13% of urinary incontinence and no cases of rectal injury.
Conclusion:
Prostate cryoablation is a viable and promising minimally invasive alternative for localized or locally advanced prostate cancer patients.
