The "Partin tables" were originally developed by urologists Dr. Alan W. Partin and Dr. Patrick C. Walsh of Johns Hopkins based on data from hundreds of patients who had been treated for prostate cancer.

Taking the three things known about a man's disease -- PSA level, Gleason score, and estimated clinical stage -- the tables were designed to try to estimate your specific pathological stage, and thus help your doctor determine the best course of treatment.

Updated most recently in 2001, the Partin tables provide not only the probability that your prostate cancer has reached the various pathological stages, but provide the range of those possibilities at a 95 percent level of confidence

The Partin tables provide estimates on four items:

• The probability that your cancer is completely confined to the prostate (confined to prostate);
• The probability that the your cancer has extended into and perhaps through the fibrous capsule that surrounds the prostate gland (established capsular penetration);
• The probability that your cancer has spread into the seminal vesicles, glands connected to the prostate at the base of the bladder (seminal vesicle involvement);
• The probability that your prostate cancer has spread into your lymph nodes.
  

The probability that your cancer has or has not reached these pathological stages can be a significant factor in how a doctor will want to treat the cancer, and how you may wish to be treated.

However, it is important to note that the Partin tables provide estimates of probabilities -- and obviously cannot be used to specificy the prognosis for any individual patient with any known degree of accuracy.

The actual clinical value of these tables in predicting outcomes for large numbers of patients has never actually been proven.

Patients are strongly advised to discuss data from these tables with their physicians.