Prostate cryoablation combined with androgen deprivation therapy for newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer: a propensity score-based study

BACKGROUND: Several studies showed that androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) plus local treatment of prostate could improve metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) patients’ survival. To date there are few studies analyzed the value of prostate cryoablation in mPCa. The objective of our analysis is to evaluate the oncological results and clinical value of prostate cryoablation combined with ADT compared with ADT alone in newly diagnosed mPCa patients. METHODS: Newly diagnosed mPCa patients undergoing cryoablation plus ADT (group A) between January 2011 and November 2018 were identified. Patients receiving ADT alone (group B) were selected from the same institutional prostate cancer database by propensity score matching based on clinical characteristics. Oncological results and clinical value in symptom control and primary lesion treatment were compared. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients were included in each group. Prostate cryoablation was well tolerated. The median follow-up time was 40 (27–53) and 39 (31–54) months in group A and group B, respectively. Patients in group A had a lower median prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir (0.025 ng/mL vs. 0.230 ng/mL, p = 0.001), longer median failure-free survival (FFS) (39 months vs. 21 months, p = 0.005), and median metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)-free survival (39 months vs. 21 months, p = 0.007). No difference in cancer-specific survival and overall survival was found between the two groups. Multivariate Cox analysis showed combination therapy reduced the risk of FFS by 45.8% (HR = 0.542 [95% CI 0.329–0.893]; p = 0.016). Patients in group A had better clinical relief of urinary symptoms (79.1 vs. 59.1%, p = 0.044) and required less treatment of primary lesions for symptomatic relief (13.0 vs. 31.5%, p = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Prostate cryoablation plus ADT decreases PSA nadir, prolongs FFS and mCRPC-free survival, relieves urinary symptoms and reduces the need for treating primary lesions in newly diagnosed mPCa patients compared to ADT alone.