Description:
Cancer of the prostate gland may cause it to enlarge, resulting in symptoms such as difficulty in urinating, frequent urination, and blood in the urine. The risk of prostate cancer rises with age and it is rare in men younger than 50.
Treatment options depend on the stage of the cancer. Current treatments for localised prostate cancer include watchful waiting, radiotherapy, and radical prostatectomy.
Cryotherapy may be performed under general or spinal anaesthesia. A warming catheter is inserted into the urethra, to prevent it being damaged by the cold. Cryoneedles or probes are inserted into the prostate, under radiological guidance. Temperature monitor probes may also be placed percutaneously through the perineum. Argon gas or liquid nitrogen is then circulated through the needles or probes generating very low temperatures and causing the formation of ice around the prostate gland, which destroys the tissue. Newer cryotherapy techniques allow for these needles to be removed or repositioned so that the frozen zone conforms to the exact size and shape of the target tissue.
|
