What do you think about cryoablation as a treatment for prostate cancer?
I do not believe that cryoablation (controlled freezing of the prostate gland in order to destroy cancerous cells) is an effective primary treatment for localized prostate cancer. Some advocate it for men who have failed radiation therapy. It almost always results in impotency. Also, a major concern is that if cancer cells are near the urethra, the warming of the urethra (as a protection against freezing and a consequence of the thawing process after the freezing) allows the cancer cells to survive. Frankly, I do not recommend cryoablation to any of my patients.
