About this page. This is a plain English summary of nomograms, which are online calculators used in prostate cancer. It does not replace medical advice from your own doctor or specialist.
For full information and references, please read the detailed page.
What is a nomogram?
A nomogram is a kind of online calculator. You put in a few numbers about a particular prostate cancer, and it gives back a percentage estimate, for example: "the chance the cancer is contained inside the prostate" or "the chance of being free of cancer 10 years after surgery".
The most well known set of prostate cancer nomograms is run by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. It is freely available online.
What goes in?
The numbers a nomogram usually asks for are the same numbers your specialist already has:
- Your PSA level.
- The Gleason score from the biopsy.
- The clinical stage from the rectal examination and scans.
- The number of biopsy cores that contained cancer.
What comes out?
Different nomograms answer different questions. Common examples:
- The chance that the cancer is still inside the prostate (rather than just outside it).
- The chance of being free of cancer at a certain number of years after surgery.
- The chance of being free of cancer after radiotherapy or seed therapy.
- The estimated chance of survival without treatment, if the cancer is being watched.
There are also nomograms used after treatment, to estimate the chance of cancer coming back based on the surgical specimen and the PSA trend.
Why bother?
Nomograms can be useful for putting numbers on something that otherwise feels very abstract. Many men find them helpful when comparing options.
Important things to know
- Nomograms give probabilities, not promises. They are based on large groups of patients, not one individual.
- A nomogram cannot reliably tell you whether surgery is "better" than radiotherapy. That kind of comparison would need a full clinical trial.
- The accuracy of a nomogram depends on putting in correct numbers. Small differences in PSA, biopsy details, or stage can change the answer.
- Some men find the percentages helpful. Others find them confusing or stressful. Both reactions are normal.
- A nomogram is one tool among many. Your specialist will weigh it up alongside the rest of your assessment.
What you can do next
- Read the full detailed page with references and links.
- Short version: biopsy grading (the Gleason score).
- Short version: staging.
- Short version overview of treatment options.
- Request a second opinion on a nomogram result.
- Call 02 8382 6980 to make an appointment.