1. ¹Departments of Surgery and Oncology, University of Calgary, Calgary Regional Health Authority, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
2. ²Department of Urology, Calgary Regional Health Authority, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
3. ³Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
4. ⁴Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Calgary Regional Health Authority, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
5. ⁵Departments of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology and Internal Medicine, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, and University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
6. ⁶Department of Urology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
7. ⁷Department of Oncology and Program in Clinical Psychology, University of Calgary, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
8. ⁸Department of Psychosocial Resources, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
9. ⁹Departments of Epidemiology, Prevention and Screening, Alberta Cancer Board, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
10. ¹⁰1776 St Clair Suite 401, St Paul, Minnesota, Canada

Correspondence: , #2, 191 Mutual St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5B 2B4. E-mail: Bryce.weber@utoronto.ca

Received 9 November 2004; Revised 8 March 2005; Accepted 25 March 2005; Published online 28 June 2005.

Abstract

Despite improvements in treatment of localized prostate cancer, local recurrence remains a significant problem. A total of 46 patients with proven local cancer recurrence following external beam radiotherapy entered a prospective clinical trial using ultrasound-guided cryosurgery to ablate the residual prostate gland. Persistent complications included one urethra–rectal fistula, incontinence (2), retention (3), and treatment induced erectile dysfunction (7). Using the PSA definitions for biochemical failure as PSA 0.3 ng/ml, the Kaplan–Meier plots showed the incidence of patients to be free of biochemical recurrence at 51 and 44% at 1 and 2 y, respectively. For a PSA 1.0, the values at 1 and 2 y were 72 and 58%.