Salvage Cryotherapy for Recurrent Prostate Cancer After Radiation Therapy

Salvage cryoablation of the prostate has been proposed as an alternative to salvage radical prostatectomy, as it has a potentially lower risk of morbidity and equal efficacy. A recent systematic review assessed a total of 32 studies of SCAP (5.513 patients). The overwhelming majority of patients (93%) received whole-gland SCAP. The adjusted pooled analysis for 2-year BCR-free survival for SCAP was 67.49% (95% CI: 61.68-72.81%), and for 5-year BCR-free survival was 50.25% (95% CI: 44.10-56.40%). Nevertheless, the evidence base relating to the use of SCAP is poor, with significant uncertainties relating to long-term oncological outcomes. One of the main limitations when these studies are analyzed is the lack of information about the histopathology both before starting treatment and at the time of recurrence after cryotherapy. The vast majority only refer to biochemical-free survival as end point, thus limiting interpretation of real oncological performance of this technique. Furthermore, side effects vary widely from study to study and there are uncertainties about the real morbidity associated to cryotherapy in the salvage setting. Due to this lack of evidence, the EAU 2021 Guidelines recommend that SCAP should only be performed in selected patients in experienced centres as part of a clinical trial or well-designed prospective cohort study.