The Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada has launched an interactive web resource to assist men in facing prostate cancer and in finding answers regarding prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. Called Prostate Cancer Assessment Tools (PCATs), each of the 12 PCATs provides individualized information that will help each man better understand prostate cancer.
A sampling of the PCATs are as follows:
- Based on age, PSA, percentage of free PSA, and DRE findings what is the likelihood that I have cancer, if a biopsy is performed?
- Based on the characteristics of my cancer, what is the likelihood that the Gleason sum found on biopsy is higher than the Gleason sum on final pathology, when the prostate is removed?
- Based on the characteristics of my cancer, what is the likelihood that the cancer has spread beyond the capsule of the prostate?
- Based on my PSA, cancer stage at DRE, biopsy Gleason sum, the cumulative length (mm) of cancer on all biopsy cores and on the percentage of positive cores, what is the likelihood that my cancer is clinically significant (i.e., one that may kill)?
- Based on my cancer characteristics what is the likelihood that my cancer represents a (TZ) transition zone cancer?
- Based on the characteristics of my cancer, what is the likelihood that my PSA will increase and indicate a relapse of my prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy?
