Objectives: As the first German center to perform perineal cryoablation of localized prostate cancer, we present our experience in a series of 48 consecutive patients.
Methods: 7 patients staged T1, 21 with T2 disease and 20 patients with T3 tumor were treated. 62.5% of the patients received neoadjuvant hormonal downsizing. Follow-up ranged from 4 to 27 months with a median of 15 +/- 5.7 months.
Results: Positive control biopsies after 6 months were obtained in 0% of T1 tumors, 16.7% of T2 tumors and 26.7% of T3 tumors. Prostate-specific antigen persistence above 1 ng/ml was diagnosed in 14.3, 33.3, and 40%, respectively. Complications were acceptable. 22.9% of the patients had prolonged urinary retention, requiring transurethral resection in 5 patients (10.4%) to relieve obstruction. In 5 cases (10.4%) incontinence was found, in 2 of these patients mild urge incontinence declined over time, in 3 cases moderate to severe stress incontinence developed. Two of these patients were pretreated with radiotherapy. No fistulae were noted.
Conclusions: Cryoablation of the prostate is not a substitution for radical prostatectomy but enables the surgeon to perform a radical curative procedure in patients unfit for other radical forms of treatment or unwilling to undergo these. Long-term follow-up and prospective studies are necessary to define the clinical significance of this procedure.