Trust our world-renowned prostate cancer experts to deliver your care. For more information, connect with a prostate cancer care specialist at 310-794-7700.
Cryotherapy is a technique that uses very cold temperatures to destroy tumor tissue. During an outpatient procedure, your surgeon inserts a needle called a cryoprobe into your prostate. Cold temperatures pass through the cryoprobe and create a ball of ice around prostate cancer. This ice kills cancer cells.
Cryotherapy is a type of focal therapy. Focal therapies destroy tumor tissue without removing your entire prostate. Treatments that remove your prostate are called radical therapies. Other names for cryotherapy include cryosurgery and cryoablation.
Cryotherapy may be a good option for men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer who have:
Before cryotherapy, you receive general anesthesia so that you remain asleep. Your surgeon places small probes in and near your prostate. These probes monitor temperature so that we minimize damage to surrounding structures when freezing prostate tissue.
During the treatment, your surgeon:
Your surgeon usually repeats the process, freezing the tissue twice. Treatment takes about an hour, and you return home the same day.
The main side effect of cryotherapy is minor swelling of your urethra (tube where urine and semen exit your body). After treatment, you will have a catheter (hollow tube) in your urethra for a few days. This catheter helps manage swelling.
Rarely, you may experience other temporary side effects, such as:
In the past, there was a risk of urethral damage with cryotherapy. Now, we send warm saltwater through a catheter in your urethra to protect it and keep it from freezing during treatment.
Many men choose cryotherapy because it offers multiple benefits, including:
You will have follow-up visits to monitor your prostate after cryotherapy. Typically, you have a biopsy six months and 18 months after treatment. If cancer returns, these biopsies help ensure that we detect and treat it right away.
Overall, cryotherapy and other focal therapies, such as high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) , have a higher rate of cancer returning than radical therapies such as prostatectomy . This can happen both at the treatment site and in other parts of your prostate. However, focal therapies are less invasive and have fewer side effects than radical therapies. Your doctor will explain the risks and benefits of each treatment option and recommend the therapy that’s best for you.
UCLA Health experts have more than a decade of experience using cryotherapy for prostate cancer. Working with multiple specialists across UCLA Health enables us to bring you coordinated, effective treatment. We offer:
To find out more about cryotherapy for prostate cancer and to schedule an appointment, please call the urology appointment line at 310-794-7700 .