Endocare Study Finds Cryosurgery Successful

Cryosurgery, which uses extremely cold temperatures to freeze and destroy cancerous cells, was 97% effective on men who had recurrences of prostate cancer, according to the results of a clinical study to be published today in the journal Urology.

The study, sponsored by Endocare Inc. in Irvine, found that 42 of the 43 men in the clinical trial have been essentially disease-free since undergoing cryosurgery about two years ago.

Cryosurgery has been used to treat first-time cancer patients. The study is the first on men who had prostate cancer and previously received radiation treatments.

Endocare makes temperature-based surgical devices and technologies.