Study Supports Cryotherapy As Treatment for Prostate Cancer

Allegheny General Hospital is releasing a study that confirms the long-term efficacy of cryotherapy treatment for prostate cancer. The treatment involves using ultra-thin needles to apply freezing temperatures to tumors, killing them. The treatment has been used since the 1960s, but was refined in the early '90s. Doctors from AGH retooled the treatment by adding the use of ultrasound equipment so they could better see the cancerous regions in the prostate. The study has found the treatment to be as effective as traditional radiation or chemotherapy in low-risk patients, and more effective in medium- to high-risk patients. Dr. Jeff Cohen, the Director of Urology at AGH, says this study will lead to greater use of cryotherapy as a treatment for prostate cancer.