How high is too High before it's to late for Cryocare?

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my cancer is still in my prostate by all test taken!

-- Jan Donald Long (long8554@bellsouth.net), April 29, 2004

Answers

Dear John,

as you probably know, cryotherapy is not high among standard recommendations for first line, primary treatment. One main reason given for this is, if it fails, it makes it hard to do a follow up therapy. Also the rate of impotence after cryo is very high (see below).

At the same time some men who have had cryotherapy successfully are strong advocates for it.

Standard therapeutic options for localised prostate cancer remain radical prostatectomy, external beam radiation therapy, and brachytherapy.

But since you're interested here's what the studies show. PSA of below 10 is advisable.

In a study at U of Los Angeles (published 2003), results were thus:

"A total of 42 (78%) low risk patients (Gleason score 7 or less and PSA 10 or less) remained with a PSA of 0.4 ng/ml or less at 12 months of followup, compared to 37 (71%) high risk patients."

"Complications in patients undergoing primary cryosurgery included tissue sloughing (5%), incontinence (pads, 3%), urge incontinence/no pads (5%), transient urinary retention (3.3%) and rectal discomfort (2.6%). There were no cases of fistulas or infections. Postoperative impotence was 87% in previously potent patients."

The so-called "3rd generation" technique used in the above trial involves use of ultra-thin needles through a brachytherapy template. J Urol. 2003 Oct;170(4 Pt 1):1126-30. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi? cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&d opt=Abstract&list_uids=14501706

An earlier study (1999) at San Francisco/Mt. Zion Cancer Center found that men with organ confined disease and pretreatment PSA 10 ng./ml. had better chance of a favorable outcome, "with a biochemical disease- free survival of 77% and 61% 3 years after treatment, respectively." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi? cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=10411051

By the way, you might like to log onto the Contact section of our new Forums at this page: http://psa-rising.com/forums/

regards and good luck Jacquie

Information above is not intended as medical advice nor to be taken as such. Consult qualified physicians specializing in the treatment of prostate cancer. Neither the editors nor the publisher accepts any responsibility for the accuracy of the information or consequences from the use or misuse of the information contained on this website.

-- js (admin@psa-rising.com), April 30, 2004.


I have already had external beam radation 25 treatments plus seed implants PSA had a slight drop then it started to rise at the last it was up to 8.2 the urololigest wanted to casterat me! So I changed Doctors I'm only 49 white male with no family history of this now I just turned 51. My new doctor says my old doctor has his ways but they are cumming up with new things ever day!I have no pain the cancer was found in the front of my prostate all further test sho it still in my prostate I have had all test except a Pet scan I check fine in everthing even a bone scan so it all showes it's contained in the prostate gland !What is the best step to go next?

-- Jan Donald Long (long8554@bellsouth.net), May 01, 2004.

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