About Prostate Cryotherapy for Cancer

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer in men, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cryotherapy is a treatment sometimes used to treat prostate cancer, though its effectiveness and long-term risks are still relatively unknown.

Function

• Cryotherapy for prostate cancer involves the use of a very small needle to inject fluid that causes the cancerous tumor cells on your prostate to freeze and die, explains the Mayo Clinic.

Use

• Doctors sometimes use prostate cancer cryotherapy treatment when surgery is not a possible option or when radiation and chemotherapy have failed, reports the Prostate Cancer Institute.

Features

• For one to two weeks after prostate cryotherapy, you will need to use a catheter to drain urine from your bladder, reports Cancer Research UK.

Effectiveness

• A study at the Crittenton Hospital in Rochester, Michigan, found that only 10 percent of patients still had cancerous cells present in the prostate after prostate cryotherapy, compared to the 35 to 90 percent of patients who still have cancerous cells after radiation.

Risks

• Approximately 72 to 100 percent of men who undergo cryotherapy for prostate cancer experience permanent impotence after the procedure, warns Cancer Research UK. Other risks associated with the procedure include loss of bladder control and the formation of a hole or fistula between the bowel and urethra.