Cryotherapy ????

Hi dirt,
There are a few here that can hold a better discussion than I. One of the top facilities in the west is located in Ventura, Ca. It's run by Duke Bahn. He is a protoge of Fred Lee in the Midwest. There are articles of total and partial ablation therapies available on the web. Cryo is relatively new to prostate cancer, but long term results should mirror other local treatments. It has passed FDA approval when applied in total ablation therapies and some partial ablation therapies. Similar to radiation there are SE's that can affect urinary tract and ED. Cryo touts less of radiations SE's that affect other local organs with collateral RT damage. I believe it is promising, but still left to pass the test of time.

One of the good things that is coming out of Cryo research is imaging. Because Cryo requires careful aimed application, Dr. Bahn and Dr. Lee are working on an advanced imaging fusion of Doppler and MRI. I think this may grow and be used for those who use seeds and focal therapies like HIFU, Cyberknife, and Cryo. In addition, this type of imaging can be used in monitoring watchful waiting cases.

I will meet Dr. Bahn in two weeks and I am highly interested in discussing the different Cryo techniques and results. I am also interested in it's use in salvage therapies as well as partial ablations.

Tony