Salvage cryotherapy for prostate cancer

Background: Most men diagnosed with prostate cancer will be candidates for active treatment and 20 to 50% of patients treated with organ preserving strategies recur within the prostate. Optimal treatment of recurrence is controversial. Prostate cryosurgery has been increasingly used as primary, recurrence and focal treatment for prostate cancer. Methods: We analysed 55 patients submitted to cryotherapy as salvage treatment after recurrence. Results: Study population presented with a mean age of 70.9 +/- 6.2 years, mean initial PSA of 7.6 ng/ml and average prostate volume by ultrasound of 43.2 +/- 14.7 grams. Mean follow-up was of 18.0 months. Biochemical free survival at one year of follow-up was of 85%. Conclusions: Cryotherapy can be an effective and safe treatment for recurrence after primary curative treatment failure.