Comparative results of focal-cryoablation and stereotactic body radiotherapy in the treatment of unilateral, low-to-intermediate-risk prostate cancer

Objective The purpose of this study is to compare oncologic and functional outcomes of men with unilateral, localized PCa treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) versus focal cryoablation (FC). Methods Patients from our IRB-approved PCa database who underwent FC or SBRT and were eligible for both treatments were included. Patients with less than 1 year of follow-up or prior PCa treatment were excluded. The primary outcome was treatment failure, defined as salvage treatment or a Gleason group (GG) of ≥ 2 on post-treatment biopsy. Biochemical recurrence (BCR) was evaluated with Phoenix. Functional outcomes were based on EPIC surveys. Complications were categorized with the CTCAE 5.0. Outcomes were compared using descriptive statistics, univariate analyses, and Kaplan–Meier curve for failure-free survival (FFS) and BCR-free survival. P < 0.05 was significant. Results 68 FC and 51 SBRT patients with a median age of 68 years (48–86) and a median follow-up time of 84 (70–101) months were included in this analysis. There was no difference in tumor risk ( p = 0.47), GG ( p = 0.20), or PSA ( p = 0.70) among the two cohorts at baseline. At 7-year follow-up, no difference in FFS was found between the two cohorts ( p = 0.70); however, significantly more FC patients had BCR ( p < 0.001). At 48 months, no differences existed in urinary or bowel function; however, SBRT patients had significantly worse sexual function ( p = 0.032). Conclusion FC and SBRT are associated with similar oncologic and functional outcomes 7-year post-treatment. These results underscore the utility of FC and SBRT for the management of unilateral low-to-intermediate-risk PCa.