Cryoablation of prostate cancer

Due to continuous technical developments for more than 60 years followed by better clinical results with minimal side effects, cryoablation of the prostate for localized prostate cancer has evolved as a true alternative therapeutic option for selected patients. The current form of cryoablation has almost nothing in common with those established in the 1960s and 1970s, which were further developed in the 1980s and 1990s. Nowadays it is a minimally invasively and highly effective treatment for high-risk carcinomas and failure of other therapeutic modalities. Thus, cryoablation of the prostate is indicated if there are absolute or relative contraindications for radical surgery. In salvage cases for localized prostate cancer, cryoablation is the therapy of choice. Cryoablation is also an option for focal therapy. Standardization of the procedure, definition of freeze-thaw cycles, and structured training programs have led to this status.