Why Oncology Apps Must Support Custom Units and Calculators

Physician looking at Altai Mobile App

Precision in Oncology Starts With Flexibility

Modern oncology is driven by data — height, weight, body surface area, creatinine clearance, staging metrics, biomarker status, and more. But in the real world, clinicians don’t always enter data the same way, and patient characteristics vary widely. That’s why any serious oncology app must support custom units and multiple calculator options.

Rigid systems slow down workflows, introduce risk, and frustrate users. On the other hand, flexibility in how data is entered and processed enables safer, faster, and more personalized cancer care.

Why Unit Flexibility Matters in Oncology Apps

  • International Use: U.S. oncologists often use feet/inches and pounds; many others use metric (cm, kg).
  • Patient Records May Vary: External documents, prior records, and verbal reports may present height and weight in any format.
  • Speed Matters: Oncologists shouldn’t waste time converting units manually or worry about input errors.

An effective oncology app must allow seamless entry of values like:

  • Height: cm or ft/in
  • Weight: kg or lbs
  • Creatinine: mg/dL or μmol/L

The Case for Multiple Calculator Methods

Equally important is giving oncologists control over calculation methods, especially for critical dosing variables like:

Body Surface Area (BSA)

  • Mosteller – Common in most U.S.-based institutions.
  • DuBois & DuBois – Still used in many protocols and literature.

Creatinine Clearance / eGFR

  • Cockcroft-Gault – Often preferred in chemo dosing.
  • Jelliffe, CKD-EPI 2009, CKD-EPI 2021 – Used based on age, race, and institutional policy.

Clinical Implications of Inflexible Systems

If an app only accepts metric units or only uses one formula:

  • Dosing may be incorrect due to hidden assumptions.
  • Users may rely on paper calculators or separate apps.
  • Manual errors or time delays become more likely.
  • Institutions lose trust in the digital tool.

In oncology, where the therapeutic window is narrow, a small miscalculation can lead to severe toxicity or under-treatment.

Altai Oncology: Built With Flexibility at Its Core

The Altai Oncology App was designed by oncologists for oncologists — and that means respecting clinical variability while ensuring safety:

  • Enter height and weight in any unit — Altai converts and calculates automatically.
  • Select between Mosteller or DuBois for BSA.
  • Choose from multiple creatinine clearance methods, including CKD-EPI and Cockcroft-Gault.
  • Get instant feedback on calculated doses, with the ability to override, adjust, and document.

With Altai, the technology adapts to the clinician — not the other way around.

Conclusion: True Usability Means Real-World Flexibility

An oncology app is more than a digital tool — it’s a clinical assistant. If it can’t handle the basic diversity of how clinicians work and how patients present, it risks becoming a bottleneck instead of a solution.

Unit flexibility and customizable calculators aren’t extras — they’re essentials. And in Altai Oncology, they come standard.