Endocare, Inc. Release: New Data Shows Cryosurgery Effective As Primary Treatment For High-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients

IRVINE, Calif., April 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Endocare, Inc. , an innovative medical device company focused on the development of minimally invasive technologies for tissue and tumor ablation along with vacuum technologies for erectile dysfunction, today announced that data from a study performed at New York's Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, and published in the scientific journal CANCER, showed additional promising results for men who choose cryoablation as the primary means of treating prostate cancer, even when those patients were considered to be in a high-risk profile.

The 65-patient study, in which the Endocare Cryocare(R) system was used principally, examined the results of men who elected to have prostate cryosurgery as their primary therapy between January 1998 and April 2002. All of the men in the study exhibited symptoms deemed high-risk, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels greater than or equal to 10 ng/mL and/or a Gleason sum score greater than or equal to 8. Following the procedure, patients were monitored via physical examinations and PSA screening every three months and with radiologic imaging in some cases. After a median follow-up period of 35 months (the range was 4-77 months), the PSA biochemical disease-free survival rate was 83 percent of patients according to the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) criteria. The overall survival rate at the time of publication was 100 percent.

"The progression of data supporting the cryosurgery option as a primary means of treating prostate cancer, even in a high-risk patient population or as a secondary or 'salvage' treatment for men who have failed radiation therapy, continues to accelerate as use of the procedure increases in the urology community," said Dr. Aaron Katz, assistant professor of urology at Columbia Presbyterian Center of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and a principal author of the study. "Cryosurgery has again been shown to result in long-term cure rates and has very few complications."

Endocare Chairman and CEO Craig T. Davenport said, "As the technology and precision of our device have progressed, physicians have become much more confident in its use in treating a greater proportion of prostate cancer patients -- even those with more serious conditions or who have attempted other forms of treatment. In addition to the recently announced 10-year survival data and numerous studies in the area of interventional radiology, this study is one more milestone on the road to broader acceptance and use of our technology, and we appreciate the efforts of the clinicians and patients who continue to push forward with valuable research."

About Endocare

Endocare, Inc. -- http://www.endocare.com/ -- is an innovative medical device company focused on the development of minimally invasive technologies for tissue and tumor ablation. Endocare has initially concentrated on developing devices for the treatment of prostate cancer and believes that its proprietary technologies have broad applications across a number of markets, including the ablation of tumors in the kidney, lung, liver and bone.

Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those discussed in "Risk Related to Our Business" in the Company's Forms 10-K, Forms 10-Q, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such risk factors include, but are not limited to, uncertainty relating to ongoing investigations by governmental agencies; changes in and/or attrition to the Company's senior management; uncertainty regarding market acceptance of the Company's products; uncertainty of product development and the associated risks related to clinical trials; uncertainty relating to third party reimbursement; ability to convince health care professionals and third party payers of the medical and economic benefits of the Company's products; difficulty in managing growth; ability to attract and retain key personnel; ability to secure and protect intellectual property rights relating to the Company's technology; the rapid pace of technological change in the Company's industry; fluctuations in the Company's order levels; and the Company's successful relisting on a national stock exchange. The actual results that the Company achieves may differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to such risks and uncertainties. We undertake no obligation to revise, or update publicly, any forward-looking statements for any reason.

Investor Contact: Matt Clawson Allen & Caron, Inc. (949) 474-4300 matt@allencaron.comhttp://www.allencaron.com/ Media Contact: Len Hall Allen & Caron, Inc. (949) 474-4300 len@allencaron.comhttp://www.allencaron.com/ For Additional Information: Craig T. Davenport, CEO Endocare, Inc. (949) 450-5400 http://www.endocare.com/

CONTACT: Investors, Matt Clawson, matt@allencaron.com, or Media, LenHall, len@allencaron.com, both of Allen & Caron, Inc., +1-949-474-4300, forEndocare, Inc.; or Craig T. Davenport, CEO of Endocare, Inc.,+1-949-450-5400

Web site: http://www.allencaron.com/

Web site: http://www.endocare.com/