Cryosurgery for Recurrent Prostate Cancer

A cryosurgery procedure that uses super-cold argon gas to generate an ice ball to freeze cancerous prostate tissue and destroy the gland without harming surrounding tissue is improving the long-term survival of men who experience a recurrence of disease.

The procedure, called SeedNet, is based on technology developed by Israeli military personnel to cool the infrared devices that guide missiles. SeedNet was developed by Galil Medical (Yokneam, Israel), which says that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) responses have been superb for patients who have had the procedure. The technique involves 12 tiny needles that are inserted through a template into the prostate gland, directly through the skin of the perineum. The doctor watches needle placement and the freezing process through transrectal ultrasound. Although the procedure is performed in a hospital under anesthesia, patients return home the same day and have a quick recovery time.

"The system gives the physician much greater control in destroying the diseased gland with less risk and pain to the patient,” says Jeffrey K. Cohen, M.D., director of the urology division at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh (PA, USA).




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