Has Your Doctor Discussed Kaplan Meier Curves With You?

First I hear of Kaplan Meier. I had a Decifer test performed which provides similar information.

https://outcomes4me.com/article/what-is-the-decipher-test-and-how-does-it-guide-prostate-cancer-treatment/

Decipher was never offered or discussed in my case. Though more often done post surgery, it has its place with biopsy. I’ve asked my urologist why it wasn’t discussed and await a response. I suspect my Gleason 9 and node positive was the reason given the evident high risk.

Decifer does a geno of the cancer and does provide mortality rate/expectancy. Maybe other test can as well. You should definitely get some answers from your doctor. Never too late. Best wishes moving forward.

Interesting, how would one go about using kaplan meier

Google Kaplan Meier progression free survival by grade group, or Kaplan Meier overall survival by prostatectomy v high dose radiation. You get a curve with probability of outcome on the y axis and time in months on the x axis. Pick outcomes, like biomedical progression free survival ((before PSA rises), and type of treatment, for example, you get a curve that represents declining probability of the outcome over time in months. It can give you an idea of disease progression, if any, over time. Try it.

I will, thank you TD H

Kim, I’ve used Kaplan Meier curves to compare high dose v regular dose radiation, combination therapy (Lupron +Zytiga) v ADT alone, and that type of thing. It takes some digging around, but has given me a sense of efficacy of treatments, and a sense of my future. I was never given a Decipher, probably because I am a Grade Group 5/Gleason 9 with locally advanced cancer. The Gleason grade and progression probably told my docs what they needed. Decipher would require another biopsy, which likely would not be done now.

TD H, as information. I only underwent one biopsy which originally had me at 4+3=7 (high intermediate given the #4 was in the front). That biopsy was transferred to another doctor for a second opinion, which came back 3+4=7 (low intermediate given the #3 was in front this time). That same biopsy tissue(s) was/were analyzed by Decifer which confirmed the aggressiveness of the cancer plus provided my life expectancy % in reference to cancer.

Gerry, a Decipher test, which relies on tissue, was never done or discussed as a possibility in my case. I only learned of its existence years after my 2018 diagnosis.

Gotcha TD H. I've learned cancer research is always ongoing, thus new and significant advancements are fluid and rapid. That's the positive thing, the not so positive is that sometimes we in the cancer community miss out on these advancements due to timing we can have dire consequences. But such is life my friend. My doctor explained this and said as advancements occur, folks can benefit of available. One reason clinical trials are significantly important in my opinion. Stay safe.

My doc got back to me. She said her office uses Decipher for cases that are on the edge of surveillance v more immediate treatment to help decide which way to go. I clearly wasn’t a case of surveillance at a Gleason 9, with lymph node involvement, but the prognostic information from Decipher would have been useful. Kaplan Meier curves ultimately provided some of the information I sought, but it took some digging. Even then, all data is in the realm of probability, with sometimes wide dispersion.

Kaplan-Meier curves can be valuable tools for understanding statistical outcomes, though not all oncologists routinely share them during appointments. These survival curves show probability data over time and can help patients better understand their prognosis and treatment options. Many patients find it helpful to ask their care team about accessing this type of statistical information if they're interested in seeing the data behind their treatment recommendations.