“The cryosurgery and cryomedicine centre in Malaga is in the top two or three in the world”

An expert in urology, andrology and sexology, Dr. Pedro Torrecillas Cabrera is internationally recognised for his valuable contributions to the field of cryosurgery (treatment using extreme cold) applied to urological conditions.

Dr Torrecillas carries out this work as Medical Director of the International Centre for Cryosurgery and Cryomedicine in Malaga. In this interview, he discusses the current challenges facing urology and the new lines of research he is developing.

-As a highly complex medical specialisation, where are we with urology at the moment?

-It has evolved enormously in recent years with the introduction of robotic surgery and other minimally invasive therapies, which have greatly improved both the diagnosis and treatment of urological conditions. There has also been significant progress in treating urogenital tumours with the arrival of immunotherapy.

Another major breakthrough has been the ability to treat multiple areas of prostate cancer through focal prostate treatment using cryosurgery. Since multiparametric MRI was introduced into prostate cancer diagnosis, a technique in which we were pioneers working with the Centre for Medical and Health Research (CIMES) at the University of Malaga, we have been able to use cryosurgery to treat these areas since 2006. To date, we have operated on around 700 patients using this technique, allowing them to survive without the side effects that prostate cancer surgery used to involve.

Through cryosurgery, we have also made highly significant advances in treating kidney cancer, in both its early and advanced stages. It is a more demanding and complex procedure, but it allows the tumour to be removed without having to remove the entire organ, leading to a faster recovery for the patient.

The most important advances have been made in focal surgery, which can completely eliminate cancer without damaging surrounding tissues.

-You maintain an active role as a researcher. What projects are you currently working on?

-With the new medical society, we are currently working on gonadal bioregeneration: restoring the gonads, the testicles in men and the ovaries in women, with three aims: fertility, improved quality of life and longevity. These results are achieved using entirely natural methods, through our own blood. And by regulating what we call the Testobolome, which refers to the beneficial bacteria in our gut that positively influence testosterone production and fertility. In women, this group of beneficial gut bacteria that also influences hormone production is known as the Estrobolome. A healthy diet is essential for maintaining our Estrobolome and Testobolome for hormonal, physical, and reproductive health.

-Could gonadal bioregeneration extend a woman’s fertile years?

-Absolutely. In a publication I worked on with Dr. Carmen Navarro from Venezuela, we focused on improving fertility in women with low ovarian reserve by stimulating the ovaries to resume hormone production. If this effect is repeated annually, it maintains ovarian hormonal function and can extend a woman’s lifespan. The same applies to men.

-What other applications does it have?

-It is particularly important in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. It offers very positive results for both impotence and Peyronie’s disease, commonly known as “curved penis”, which can cause pain during erections and difficulties during sexual intercourse, for the partner as well. In Spain, it affects between three and ten per cent of men. With gonadal bioregeneration, we achieve excellent results in around 70 per cent of the Peyronie’s disease and erectile dysfunction cases we treat.

-At a global level, you are the only Spanish representative in international medical societies such as the Global Organization of Gonadal Bioregeneration (GOGB) and the World Health Association (WHA). What work do you carry out in these organisations?

-At the Global Organization of Gonadal Bioregeneration, I’m responsible for the men’s health area. We are currently preparing a symposium for the end of May. We had also planned to organise another in Abu Dhabi, where the society is based, but the current situation in the Middle East has forced us to cancel it.

As for the World Health Association, based in Hong Kong, its priority is the exchange of knowledge between Eastern and Western medicine. When we performed our first lung cancer operation in 2008, two doctors from Guangzhou University visited us, bringing experience from more than 5,500 lung cancer surgeries. It was fascinating to learn firsthand about their work in China, and we returned in 2024 to give lectures and conduct operations.

China has changed significantly in recent years, and there is a strong interest in exchanging knowledge on all types of conditions. We agreed to organise a joint congress in Malaga between late 2026 and early 2027, following an initial event in Beijing.

-You’ve just mentioned the cancellation of a medical symposium in Abu Dhabi as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. How is the current geopolitical instability affecting international cooperation in healthcare?

-It only affects the organisation of travel and conferences. It has no impact at all on verbal or written communication between medical professionals. This very afternoon I’ve spoken with colleagues in Venezuela and the United States, and later I’ll be in touch with another colleague in Egypt. Personal and scientific contact remains strong, but organising in-person meetings has become more complicated. For now, it’s more limited.

-In your specialisation, what advances is the rise of AI bringing about?

-AI is driving significant improvements in several areas. One is organisation, and another is the collection and selection of data. AI feeds on all the medical information we provide it. It helps us filter data, but ultimately it still needs to be assessed by a professional. At present, I work with two AI systems: one focused on scientific publications, and another that helps us refine our articles and papers, as well as check whether AI has been used in a given publication.

-Your work, alongside that of other doctors, has placed Malaga at the forefront of research in cryosurgery and cryomedicine. What would you highlight as the main milestones of the international centre you coordinate?

-We began in 2002, working in cryosurgery to treat prostate cancer. Then, in 2004, we started treating kidney cancer. Our group grew exponentially, and by 2008, we had brought in a thoracic surgeon, the head of department at the Virgen de las Nieves Hospital in Granada, and we became the first in Europe to operate on lung cancer patients using this technique.

Gradually, we added other specialists in breast conditions, bone surgery and trauma. We went on to carry out cryosurgery for pancreatic, liver, breast and bone cancers.

The International Centre for Cryosurgery and Cryomedicine in Malaga is considered one of the two or three best in the world. For us, the most important milestone is the trust people have placed in us. We receive patients from all over the world, from Korea and Japan to Chile and Argentina.