UPDATE - Issue 08 - July 2001
Freezing treatment shows much promise
A non surgical treatment for prostate cancer is proving a successful alternative to conventional surgery or radiotherapy. Based on the concept of cryotherapy, the new technique freezes away tumour cells with fewer side effects than other treatments. It is a minimally invasive treatment and therefore it can be repeated if necessary.
Dr Gary Onik, an interventional radiologist and director of surgical imaging at Celebration Hospital in Florida, USA, who is pioneering the procedure, says: 'The idea of using cryosurgery to treat prostate cancer is not new - it was tried in the Seventies and used on patients not suitable for regular surgery. Then, it was an open procedure, had a lot of complications and never caught on.
Imaging and Ultrasound
'Today's cryosurgery uses imaging guidance and ultrasound in a procedure that can be done through the skin. Patients can come in, have it done and go home the same day'
During the two hour procedure, there are two twenty minute sessions of freezing. Fine needle like probes are introduced into the prostate. Through these, argon gas at a temperature of minus 140°C is passed. This kills of the cancerous tissue.
Conventional treatments involve surgery to remove the prostate gland or radiotherapy. Both of these can cause nasty side effects - incontinence and impotence being the most common. Furthermore neither option permits a second course of treatment if the cancer recurs.
An approved US treatment
Cryotherapy is an approved treatment for primary prostate cancer in the US and has proved effective in treating advanced tumours, although there are few hospitals which offer this alternative. At Celebration Hospital in Florida it is also being used to treat much smaller growths. Early diagnosis from routine PSA tests mean that tumours as small as 5mm are routinely detected.
'In cases like these,' says Dr Onik,' we can simply freeze the side of the prostate the tumour is on, and leave the other side alone. If necessary we can always come back and do more. We don't have to be totally aggressive and cause problems to patients. These kinds of patients are doing fine, they have no incontinence, no impotence and basically they are totally functional.'
A patient's story
Retired dentist, Eric Joseph, from Cardiff has been to Florida for the treatment. In May 1999, during one of his regular check ups, his PSA was found to be raised and a biopsy confirmed that he had the disease. Despite being 73, he was told that he could have surgery or radiotherapy and the choice was left to him. He read a few articles about the pros and cons of these procedures but was not convinced about either. So he tried surfing the web to look for alternatives.
He was already taking a course of hormone therapy prescribed by his UK consultant and supplemented it with the Chinese herbal remedy PC-SPES, which a number of our readers have found efficient in lowering PSA levels. He also found two doctors in the US practising cryosurgery and flew out to see them. After talking to them both, he decided to go ahead with the new procedure.
He returned to the States with his wife, Wendy, in February last year and the cryosurgery was carried out under general anaesthetic. He was allowed out of the hospital the next day with a catheter in place. He was uncomfortable to start with, especially when he sat down, but gradually the sensation eased. 'Wendy and I stayed in Florida for five weeks, until it was time for the catheter to come out, but we could have come home sooner.
'Six months later I went back for a biopsy and a PSA check, both of which were fine. All the indicators have stayed that way ever since. If I do have any further problems, the important thing is that the treatment is repeatable which is great.'