Primary and salvage cryotherapy for prostate cancer.

Cryotherapy is a technique to ablate tissue by local induction of extremely cold temperatures. Recently, the American Urological Association Best Practice Statement recognized cryoablation of the prostate as an established treatment option for men with newly diagnosed or radiorecurrent organ-confined prostate cancer. Emerging data suggest that, in select cases, cryoablation may have a role in focal ablation of prostate. The current state of the art of cryoablation in these applications is reviewed. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.