The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Focal therapy using cryoablation for localised stage prostate cancer.

Description

The prostate is a small gland near a man's bladder. Symptoms of localised prostate cancer include difficulties in passing urine, although the disease is often diagnosed before symptoms develop. Focal therapy using freezing (cryotherapy) needles aims to find and destroy only the cancerous part of the prostate, avoiding treatment of healthy tissue. Freezing needles are inserted into the tumour areas, which are then destroyed. The procedure aims to lower the risk of side effects that can occur when radical treatment is given to the whole of the prostate gland (such as loss of bladder control and sexual function).

Coding recommendations

M70.8 Other specified other operations on outlet of male bladder

Y13.2 Cryotherapy to lesion of organ NOC

Y53.2 Approach to organ under ultrasonic control

Z42.2 Prostate

In addition the ICD-10 code C61.X Malignant neoplasm of prostate would be recorded.

  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)