New calculator helps men to assess the risk of prostate cancer -
A calculator to help men and their doctors to assess their risk of prostate cancer developed at the UT Health Science Center, has had a major update to improve how men and their doctors better understand the risk of a man's prostate cancer. A description of the needs and benefits of the update is described by the author Health Science Center at a viewpoint published online Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association .
"Prostate Cancer Risk Calculator has been updated using current risk factors and improved interface, the current version gives a more nuanced outcome that helps to understand the risk of cancer prostate of a man, "said Ian M. Thompson Jr., MD, director of the Treatment Center cancer and research at the UT Health science Center, who helped develop the risk calculator and coauthor a commentary published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association .
calculator for free on the site Health science Center takes a few minutes to use and gives a man more information on risks for low grade prostate cancer that may never need treatment, and high grade prostate. It provides a "emoji" graphic reading that puts digital percentages in a visual perspective. significantly, it also gives the option number in (and emojis) it may have no prostate cancer at all.
"What is important are the three numbers," said Dr. Thompson. "For doctors, it makes it a more difficult conversation with the patient. For the patient, it gives better information so they can decide how it wants to move forward. "
The main aim of assessing the risk of prostate cancer detection high-quality, high-risk cancers. "the prostate want to find are the high-grade cancers," said Dr. Thompson, "because we can take steps to prolong and even save the life of 'a man."
"On the other hand, in some men, a prostate biopsy found much more often a low-grade cancer. These cancers have a risk so low that many men who take the time to understand options, decide to just watch them, "says Dr. Thompson." for many men who have been diagnosed with these low-risk cancers, they want that they had known about it before having a biopsy prostate;. Many, in retrospect wish they had not had a first biopsy This new risk calculator helps to understand that the risk in advance. "
the risk calculator is based on data from 18,882-man Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial of the National Cancer Institute (CTAP), a national multi-site study Dr. Thompson was the principal researcher origin. the first risk calculator was made available in 06, but Dr Thompson said the screening and treatment affecting more and more of the population, it modifies the risk factors which affect the calculations. the scientific team CTRC has continued to update the calculator since 06.
"the new calculator should provide a more accurate prediction of the result that the man would be safe to biopsy because it incorporates a significantly larger amount of patient data than the original calculator, "said Donna Ankerst, Ph.D., professor of urology research at the health sciences Centre and professor of mathematics at the technical University of Munich, who helped develop the calculator. "It also uses an advanced statistical model for predicting distinguish low grade and high grade disease."
Parallel to the construction of knowledge that continues to come from the data in the Prevention Trial prostate cancer, the new computer also integrates data from a separate study conducted by Dr. Thompson. This study, called Centre San Antonio Biomarkers of Risk for Prostate Cancer (SABOR) gave researchers a new biomarker called free PSA percent.
"Step by step, we gather the tools to help men work with their doctors to make more informed decisions about their treatment," said Dr. Thompson. "And as the steps go, this is a big one."
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