title: Early clinical experience with percutaneous cryosurgical ablation of the prostate.
abstract: In 1993 we started offering transrectal ultrasound-guided percutaneous cryosurgical ablation of the prostate (PCAP) as a treatment alternative for localized prostate cancer. Through 1994, 85 patients underwent PCAP and 53 had 3-6 month postoperative biopsies. A learning curve effect was observed: 46% of early patients had positive postoperative biopsies, versus only 9% of later ones. With repeat PCAP on the early patients, currently 87% of the biopsied patients are disease free. While longer follow-up is necessary, it appears that PCAP merits further investigation as a treatment alternative for localized prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: South County Urological, Inc., St. Louis, USA.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Hawatmeh
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wooster
mesh_terms: D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*