Prostate Cancer Nomograms

A combination of disease factors including stage of the cancer, prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, biopsy pathology, use of hormone therapy, and radiation dosage have been incorporated into the nomograms.

• For men who have received no primary treatment, this nomogram calculates the statistical probability of a cancer remaining progression-free after receiving one of three treatment options: prostatectomy, external beam radiation therapy, and brachytherapy.

• For men who have been treated with a prostatectomy, this tool predicts probability of survival.

Supporting Publications Visit PubMed to view the journal articles that support these nomograms go

• For men who have experienced a recurrence of their prostate cancer after being treated with a prostatectomy, this tool predicts treatment success for salvage radiation therapy (SRT) -- calculating the probability of cancer control at six years after using SRT to treat prostate cancer recurrence, as defined by post-surgery increases in PSA levels.

• For men who have received either prostatectomy or radiation therapy and are considering hormone refractory treatment (HRT), this tool predicts one and two year survival after HRT.

• For Those Who Have Not Been Treated

  The tool is designed to be used by patients who have had a biopsy of the prostate confirming the presence of cancer. The biopsy must have had a Gleason grade assigned to it. The patient must also have had a PSA blood test performed, either prior to or not within 10 days following the biopsy, and not after the start of hormonal therapy if hormones have been started. The patient must also have been assigned a clinical stage using either the UICC 1992 or 1997 clinical staging systems.

  The tool can also be used by patients who are considering hormone refractory therapy.

  The tool cannot be used for patients whose prostate cancer is believed to have spread to other parts of the body, such as bones or lymph nodes.

• For Patients Who Have Been or Are Receiving Treatment

  Portions of this tool can be used by patients who have received prostatectomy or radiation therapy to treat prostate cancer.

The What Information Will I Need? page describes what clinical data is required to use each section of our prostate cancer nomogram -- Pre-Treatment, Post-Radical Prostatectomy, Salvage Radiation Therapy, and Hormone Refractory. Included in this page are links to downloadable worksheets, which can be printed and reviewed at your next doctor's appointment.

The prostate nomogram requires no special software downloads and can be used on any standard Web browser. To use the prostate nomogram, click on the "open calculator" link in the box above.

If you have questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us at publicaffairs@mskcc.org.

The results produced by this prediction tool should be discussed with your physician before making any treatment decisions.