New formula predicts risk of prostate cancer relapse

Urologists have devised a formula that predicts the risk of a recurrence of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy. The algorithm facilitates an accurate assessment of a patient's life expectancy and the development of individualised treatment plans.

A team from the Johns Hopkins University Hospitals in Baltimore, Maryland, studied 1997 men who had radical prostatectomy for localised prostate cancer between 1982 and 1997. None of the patients received adjuvant hormone or radiation treatment. The men were followed for an average of 5.3 years, with more than 10000 patient …