Cryosurgery in prostatic cancer: elimination of local lesion.

From 1969 through 1976, we performed cryosurgery in 229 cases of prostatic cancer. Most of these patients had bulky, locally extensive primary tumors, and one-half had disseminated disease. Through the open perineal approach, which gives exposure for an adequate freeze, cryosurgery has been well tolerated. The primary surgical goal has been to reduce or eliminate the local lesion to minimize subsequent cancer-related lower urinary tract problems and to cure those patients with truly localized disease. In every case cryosurgery produced dramatic shrinkage of the local lesion. After four to eight weeks a local recurrence was suspected in 13 per cent, and 41 per cent eventually had some evidence of a recurrent cancer nodule or persistent cancer in the bladder neck. In a series of statistical analyses we have related these recurrences to other clinical factors. Cryosurgery has been a safe, effective way to reduce or eliminate the primary prostatic cancer, even in patients with large local lesions.