Why it's done

Cryotherapy freezes tissue within the prostate gland. This causes the prostate cancer cells to die.

Your doctor may recommend cryotherapy for prostate cancer as an option at different times during your cancer treatment and for different reasons. Cryotherapy might be recommended:

• As the initial treatment for cancer if your cancer is confined to your prostate and other treatments aren't an option for you
• As a treatment for prostate cancer that comes back after your initial treatment

Cryotherapy for prostate cancer generally isn't recommended if you:

• Previously had surgery for rectal or anal cancer
• Have a condition that makes it difficult or impossible to monitor the prostate with an ultrasound probe during the procedure
• Have a large tumor that can't be treated with cryotherapy without damaging surrounding tissue and organs, such as the rectum or bladder

Researchers are studying whether cryotherapy to treat one part of the prostate might be an option for cancer that's confined to the prostate. Termed focal therapy, this strategy identifies the area of the prostate that contains the most aggressive cancer cells and treats that area only. Studies have found that focal therapy reduces the risk of side effects. But it's not clear whether it offers the same survival benefits as treatment to the entire prostate.