If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the goal of your treatment plan will be to destroy, or ablate, the cancer and the prostate gland itself. One treatment option you may want to consider is cryotherapy. Cryotherapy uses extremely cold temperatures to ablate the cancer and the gland by freezing them. This is a minimally invasive procedure.
Cryotherapy involves using tiny probes to deliver argon gas into the prostate. Argon gas is extremely cold, and when delivered directly into the prostate, it freezes and destroys the tissue. This kills the cancer along with the glandular tissue. The doctor uses an ultrasound to map out the gland and guide the probes to the correct location. Temperature sensors are used to monitor the tissue in order to notify the physician when the targeted temperature for ablation has been reached. Throughout the procedure, a warming catheter is used to protect the urethra from the intense cold that is being delivered to the prostate.
Once the targeted temperature is reached, the treatment continues with an infusion of helium gas to thaw the tissue. Once the tissue is thawed, the process is repeated two more times. This effectively destroys the gland and the cancer cells it contains. Once the procedure is complete, you will be admitted into the hospital for an overnight stay. You will also be fitted with a catheter that you will wear for two to three weeks while your body heals.
Non-surgical, Radiation Free, Outpatient Prostate Cancer Treatment
There are many benefits to treating prostate cancer using cryotherapy. First, it is a minimally invasive procedure, in contrast to other procedures that require major surgery. You can choose whether you want to go under general anesthesia or just localized anesthesia. Also, cryotherapy is far safer than some other treatment options because it does not put any radiation into your body. Most insurance providers recognize cryotherapy as a good way to treat prostate cancer, which means that the therapy is usually covered. There is also a low risk of incontinence from the procedure. Newer, better targeted treatments are also reducing the risk of impotence.
|
|
|
