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Focal Cryoablation Effective in Destroying Prostate Cancer, Preserving Potency, Continence

After 70 Months, 92.8% of Patients Remained Disease Free, 88.9% Retained Potency Following Targeted, Minimally Invasive Treatment

IRVINE, CA -- September 28, 2006 -- Endocare, Inc. announced today that a new study has demonstrated that specially targeted cryoablation, known as "focal cryoablation," may effectively destroy cancerous tumors in the prostate while preserving a patient's potency and continence.

Focal cryoablation is an innovative and non-surgical type of cryoablation that uses the Endocare Cryocare Surgical System(R) to precisely target, freeze and destroy only cancerous tissue while sparing surrounding nerve structures and healthy tissue.

The study, published in the September issue of The Journal of Endourology, consisted of 31 men with a mean age of 63 who underwent the focal cryoablation procedure and whose disease was believed, through targeted and systematic biopsies, to be unilateral or confined to one sector of the prostate gland. At a mean follow-up of 70 months, 92.8% (26 of 28) remained biochemically disease-free and 96% (24 of 25) had no evidence of cancer on post-treatment biopsy. The one biopsy-positive patient had his prostate subsequently treated with full gland cryoablation and currently remains biochemically disease-free.

Follow-up for the study consisted of PSA measurement every three months for one year and every six months thereafter, with biopsies at six months, one year, two years, five years and following any three consecutive PSA rises.

Potency was completely maintained in 41.8% (13 of 27) of the patients and 40.7% of the others (11 of 27) were potent with erectile dysfunction drugs, for a total potency preservation rate of 88.9%. The patients experienced no other complications, such as incontinence. Potency was determined with a patient questionnaire, and only disease stage, not preoperative PSA or tumor differentiation was considered a potential contraindication.

"Today, we are much more vigilant in diagnosing prostate cancer and as a result we are identifying the disease earlier and in younger men," said Duke K. Bahn, MD, the lead investigator of the study and director of the Prostate Institute of America based at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, California. "Unfortunately, until now, this growing population has had few options: either doing nothing, which we often call 'watchful waiting,' or choosing one of several fairly radical procedures, including prostatectomy and radiation treatment. The outcomes we are seeing from focal cryoablation demonstrate that many of these patients now have a new option that not only is minimally invasive, but it destroys the cancer, maintains their potency and quality of life, and can even be performed as an outpatient procedure in many cases."

Endocare's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Craig T. Davenport, noted that the new data demonstrate that it is possible for certain prostate cancer patients to go on to lead normal and sexually active lives following focal cryoablation, which is a potential option for men whose tumor is confined to only a portion of the prostate.

"Studies continue to demonstrate what we have been hearing first-hand from a variety of urologists -- that focal cryoablation can destroy the disease while preserving the surrounding healthy tissue that is critical to normal sexual function," Davenport said. "This is very significant news for any man diagnosed with prostate cancer who is concerned about surgery or the side effects of radiation because it represents a new, minimally invasive, non-surgical option and does not include many of the debilitating side effects, such as impotence and incontinence, which can occur with more aggressive therapies. We believe that focal cryoablation fills a void in the treatment options available to patients and signals a tremendous advance in the treatment of prostate cancer."


SOURCE: Endocare, Inc.

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