[Cryoablation of localized prostate cancer. Current state]

Due to continuous technical developments for more than half a century followed by better clinical results with minimal side effects, cryoablation of the prostate for localized prostate cancer has evolved as a true alternative therapeutic option in selected cases. The current version of cryoablation has almost nothing in common with those versions established in the 1960s and 1970s and further developed in the 1980s and 1990s. The present version is minimally invasive and has a high efficacy for treatment of high risk carcinomas and failure of other therapeutic modalities. Cryoablation of the prostate is indicated if there are absolute or relative contraindications for radical surgery. In salvage cases cryoablation is the therapy of choice for localized prostate cancer. Standardization of the procedure, definition of freeze-thaw cycles and structured training programs have led to this status.