The current role of cryotherapy for renal and prostate tumors.

Minimally invasive treatments continue to evolve as an alternative method for the treatment of kidney and prostatic tumors. Of the mainstream ablative procedures reported in the literature, the cryotherapy data appear to be the most durable. Currently, select kidney and prostatic lesions are treated using cryotherapy. Although limited long-term survival data using cryotherapy are available, recent series have provided compelling results, promoting interest in renal and prostatic cryoablation. This article assesses the current status of cryotherapy in urology, specifically the indications, techniques, and clinical results in treating kidney and prostate tumors.