Added: 10/08/2007 |
Cryosurgery For Treating Prostate CancerCryosurgery is a comparatively new technique of treating. It has been used in treating prostate cancer since the early 1990s, though its effectiveness is still not unequivocal in medical communities. Cryosurgery attempts to kill the cancerous parts of the prostate gland by freezing the whole gland. While this technique has some advantages over conventional surgery, it is not free of side effects and risk of complications.
In the medical context, patients whose prostate cancer can be treated effectively with cryotherapy are those who have not yet taken any surgery for their cancer; whose prostate glands are not larger than 40 grams (determined by ultrasound); and whose prostate cancer has not yet spread outside the prostate gland. Further, cryosurgery is a better option for patients with a high Gleason score, which is associated with a more aggressive form of prostate cancer.
Cryosurgery is performed by making a small incision between the patient’s anus and scrotum, and inserting a small metal probe up to the prostate gland through this opening with the help of ultrasound guidance. Liquid nitrogen (obtained via extremely low temperature) is circulated through the probes to the gland. This results in freezing of the entire prostate gland, including the cancerous cells. In effect, this procedure turns the whole of the prostate gland into a ‘frozen ball’ to kill the cancer. The urethra, however, is prevented from low-temperature damage by circulating warm, saltwater solution through it via a catheter.
Cryosurgery has some significant advantages over other surgical treatment techniques for prostate cancer. The patient, taking cryosurgery, does not lose much blood. The procedure itself is fairly easy and less time-consuming, and the patient is able to go home soon, usually after a day or two. In addition, cryosurgery is comparatively less costly than most other surgical techniques. There also is no serious problem of incontinence associated with it. In most cases, the early side effects are either absent or very short-lived.
Nevertheless, cryosurgical treatment has it disadvantages and side effects. Irritation of bladder or urethra is the most commonly reported side effect of cryosurgery. Another common complaint associated with the treatment is difficulty in urination, mostly due to the burning or pain associated with urination (which becomes more frequent than usual). The freezing procedure may, in several cases, damage the nerves that cause erection. The result, in such cases, is erectile dysfunction (impotence) after taking cryosurgery. A number of patients have experienced swelling of the penis or scrotum, lasting about 15 days after the surgery.
In some cases of cryosurgery, complications may arise after the procedure. For example, studies have shown that a fistula (a harmful and painful connection between urethra and rectum) may result due to cryosurgical procedure. One study also reveals the risk of bladder outlet obstruction as a serious complication associated with cryosurgery. In such a case, the urethra is narrowed at the bladder neck, a condition that inhibits easy passage out of urine through the urethra. Finally, cryosurgery is still not a very established and certain method of prostate cancer treatment and its effectiveness is still under discussion.
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