title: Third-generation salvage cryotherapy for radiorecurrent prostate cancer: a centre's experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The experience of a tertiary centre in the management of recurrent prostate cancer after radiotherapy by salvage cryotherapy is presented.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between February 2006 and August 2008, 19 patients underwent salvage cryotherapy for radiorecurrent prostate cancer. Post-radiotherapy recurrence was confirmed by prostatic biopsy. The 'Phoenix definition' was used to define biochemical failure after salvage cryotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age at cryotherapy was 69.2 years and the mean time from radiotherapy to cryotherapy was 72.3 months. Patient characteristics prior to cryotherapy included a mean PSA level of 6.84 ng/ml and a median Gleason score of 7. The mean post-cryotherapy follow-up was 33.3 months. The 2-year biochemical disease-free survival rate was 58%. The median post-cryotherapy PSA nadir was 0.20 ng/ml (range 0.005-8.260). There were no procedure-related or cancer-related deaths. Complications included incontinence (10.5%), erectile dysfunction (89%) and fistula formation (5.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relatively high rates of biochemical response support the use of cryotherapy as a salvage procedure for radiorecurrent prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Barts and The London NHS Trust, London, UK. brucemed@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Prodromos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Philippou
authors.forename: Tet
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yap
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chinegwundoh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen