title: Cryoablation of renal and prostate tumors.
abstract: During the past decade, cryoablation has been applied to benign and malignant conditions within the prostate and kidney. The essence of cryosurgery lies in producing temperatures low enough to cause necrosis in target tissues while avoiding lethal conditions in healthy peripheral tissues. It works by two main mechanisms: (1) at the cellular level via solute damage and intracellular ice formation; and (2) at the vascular level as a result of thrombosis and subsequent coagulative and ischemic necrosis. Investigation of cryoablation for renal tumors began in 1964, and by the 1990s, attention was turning to its use as a means of treating renal tumors. Modern renal cryosurgery is applied using minimally invasive techniques. Cryotherapy was first applied in the prostate in 1966 and soon thereafter was used to treat prostate cancer. Today, prostate cryosurgical techniques employ ultrasound monitoring and urethral warming to minimize urethral and rectal complications.
authors: Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin 53792, USA.
authors: D Brooke
authors: DB
authors: Johnson
authors: Stephen Y
authors: SY
authors: Nakada
mesh_terms: D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*