Newest Version of Partin Tables Published in Urology

January 3, 2002---The Partin Tables---first published in 1997 to help predict an individual's pathologic stage, ie, likelihood of curable prostate cancer---have been updated for 2002. The update is important because the new tables reflect the "downstage migration" of this disease that has occurred over the past 10 years.

Early detection of prostate cancer, closely associated with widespread PSA testing, has led to lower pathologic stage and a greater surgical cure rate than before. For example, in the most recent data from Johns Hopkins University (primary source of information for all Partin Tables), more than 60% of men were found to have Stage T1c disease (PSA-detected), and more than 75% were found to have a Gleason Score of 6. These findings, associated with a favorable prognosis, are more commonly found in the database of the current Partin Tables, thus explaining the "downstage migration" of today's prostate cancer.