Prostate Health Risk Calculator

The seven urinary-symptom questions in this calculator reproduce the American Urological Association Symptom Index -- what became known as the IPSS, the International Prostate Symptom Score -- which Barry and the AUA's Measurement Committee validated in 1992 and which is still the standard clinical instrument for grading BPH-related urinary symptoms. IPSS symptom score sums those seven 0-5 answers into the same 0-35 total and 0-7/8-19/20-35 mild/moderate/severe bands the published instrument defines. Everything downstream of that, though, is this calculator's own construction: it produces two independent risk scores from the same inputs. BPH risk score (benign prostatic hyperplasia) combines an age bracket (rising from 2 points under 40 to 50 points at 80+), a scaled contribution from your IPSS urinary symptom total, and flat additions for elevated BMI and family history.

Cancer risk score uses a different mix: age contributes more heavily, African descent and family history each add a fixed point block (reflecting documented higher incidence and 2-3x baseline risk respectively), and the same IPSS total contributes only a small amount. Both age and BMI move their risk scores in one direction only -- older age and higher BMI never lower either score, they only raise it or leave it unchanged, since each is a step function through increasing brackets. Recommended screening age is entirely separate from both risk scores: it depends only on family history and African descent (dropping to 40 if both apply, 45 if either applies, 50 otherwise) and never considers your age, BMI, or symptoms. This tool uses simplified point-based versions of established prostate risk models; it is an educational screening aid, not a substitute for a urologist's evaluation or a validated clinical risk calculator.