A randomized trial of external beam radiotherapy versus cryoablation in patients with localized prostate cancer.

Background: Localized prostate cancer can be treated several different ways, but head-to-head comparisons of treatments are infrequent. The authors of this report conducted a randomized, unblinded, noninferiority trial to compare cryoablation with external beam radiotherapy in these patients.

Methods: From December 1997 through February 2003, 244 men with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer were assigned randomly to receive either cryoablation or radiotherapy (122 men in each arm).

A randomized trial of external beam radiotherapy versus cryoablation in patients with localized prostate cancer: quality of life outcomes.

Background: A recent randomized trial to compare external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) to cryoablation for localized disease showed cryoablation to be noninferior to external beam EBRT in disease progression and overall and disease-specific survival. We report on the quality of life (QOL) outcomes for this trial.

Methods: From December 1997 through February 2003, 244 men with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer were randomly assigned to cryoablation or EBRT (median dose 68 Gy).

A near-fatal case of sepsis with an antibiotic-resistant organism complicating a routine transrectal prostate biopsy in a health care worker.

A 58-year-old physician with an elevated prostate specific antigen developed severe septic shock following a repeat transrectal prostate biopsy despite standard preoperative prophylactic protocol. This case highlights the significance of harbouring antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the risk of previous quinolone exposure. We believe this case may herald a rare but potentially serious consequence of increasingly common antibiotic resistance and that high-risk patients should be studied to determine their likelihood of carrying antibiotic-resistant flora in their genitourinary/gastrointestinal tract.

Quality of life 2 years after salvage cryosurgery for the treatment of local recurrence of prostate cancer after radiotherapy.

Purpose: Previous research has raised concerns that although salvage cryosurgery may be an effective treatment to prevent the progression of prostate cancer after radiotherapy failure, the quality of life cost many be so severe as to prevent its acceptance as a viable treatment. The present study's purpose was to further the understanding of the quality of life outcomes of salvage cryosurgery.

Materials And Methods: A total of 46 men with locally recurrent prostate cancer after radiotherapy were recruited to participate in a prospective Phase II clinical trial using salvage cryosurgery.