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Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is accomplished by placing a probe through the perineum and into the prostate. The probe is attached to a source of nitrogen or argon, which cools the tip of the probe to extremely low temperatures. The low temperature freezes and destroys the prostate cancer cells. Although cryotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure, the long-term effectiveness of this technique is not well known and the risk of side effects such as erectile dysfunction is high. As a result, enthusiasm for cryotherapy as an initial treatment has diminished. Men in whom radiation fails to eradicate disease locally are sometimes treated with cryotherapy.
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