Clinical calculator summary
Karnofsky Performance Status
Clinical calculator summary
Karnofsky Performance Status
An 11-grade scale from 100 to 0 that records physical ability in 10-point steps.
Evidence-based context for fast calculator use
- Purpose:
- Document functional status at a specific assessment time without embedding treatment or survival recommendations.
- Population:
- Cancer patients for whom Karnofsky Performance Status is being documented.
- Factors:
- Normal activity, Work capacity, Self-care, Assistance, Hospitalization, Physical ability
- Reference:
- Karnofsky et al. Cancer. 1948;1(4):634-656.
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Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS)
Clinical Context & Background
Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) records physical ability using 11 grades in 10-point steps from 100 through 0. Select the single source-defined description that best matches the assessed state. KPS 10 means moribund; only KPS 0 means death.
KPS is observer-rated and can change with disease, intercurrent illness, symptoms, treatment effects, or rehabilitation. It documents function at an assessment time but does not by itself prescribe treatment, estimate survival, or determine trial eligibility.
Formula Logic
Direct selection of one required Karnofsky grade from 100 through 0 in exact 10-point steps.Reference Data
| KPS grade | Source-defined functional description |
|---|---|
| 100 | Normal; no complaints; no evidence of disease. |
| 90 | Able to carry on normal activity; minor signs or symptoms of disease. |
| 80 | Normal activity with effort; some signs or symptoms of disease. |
| 70 | Cares for self; unable to carry on normal activity or do active work. |
| 60 | Requires occasional assistance, but is able to care for most personal needs. |
| 50 | Requires considerable assistance and frequent medical care. |
| 40 | Disabled; requires special care and assistance. |
| 30 | Severely disabled; hospitalization is indicated, although death not imminent. |
| 20 | Very sick; hospitalization necessary; active support treatment is necessary. |
| 10 | Moribund; fatal processes progressing rapidly. |
| 0 | Dead. |
Clinical Workflow
Use, Interpret, And Continue The Patient Pathway
Expand for workflow guidance, limitations, examples, and related next steps.
Clinical Workflow
Use, Interpret, And Continue The Patient Pathway
Expand for workflow guidance, limitations, examples, and related next steps.
When To Use
- Use when Karnofsky Performance Status is specifically required for documentation or a named protocol.
- Record the assessment date because functional status can change over time.
How To Interpret
- Higher grades indicate greater ability to carry out ordinary activity; lower grades describe increasing assistance and care needs.
- Choose one exact 10-point grade rather than averaging features or entering an intermediate value.
- KPS 10 is moribund; KPS 0 alone represents death.
What To Do Next
- Document contributors to impaired function and whether the limitation may be temporary or reversible.
- Use the exact performance-status scale named by the relevant protocol.
- Reassess and date KPS when function changes or when a protocol requires a current value.
Limitations
- KPS is observer-dependent and can vary by assessor, setting, symptom control, and timing.
- KPS does not independently determine treatment, dose, prognosis, survival, or trial eligibility.
- This calculator does not perform or validate an ECOG/WHO conversion or the performance-status panel.
Validated Population
Cancer patients for whom the Karnofsky physical-ability scale is recorded.
Example documentation
A person requiring considerable assistance and frequent medical care is recorded as KPS 50.
ECOG performance statusUse the separate official ECOG scale when ECOG is specified.WHO performance statusUse the separate WHO adult scale when WHO performance status is specified.G8 geriatric screeningAssess geriatric vulnerabilities not captured by performance status alone.Supportive care hubReview adjacent symptom and supportive-care tools.
Calculation verification history
Verified
Calculation verification history
Verified: Production browser revalidation
- Five source-backed Karnofsky cases were exercised on the public production route through visible browser controls; 5/5 expected grades and source-defined descriptions matched across KPS 100, 70, 50, 10, and 0.
- No unexpected N/A, literal undefined value, stale control, or browser-console error was observed.
Case-level evidence is retained in validation/browser-revalidation/karnofsky-performance-status-2026-08-03.json.
: Production browser validation
- Ten source-backed cases were exercised on the public production route through visible browser controls; 10/10 case records passed their expected-versus-observed assertions across 13 visible submissions.
- Overall browser status: failed-console. medium: Production emitted minified React error #418 during route loads/reloads used by this run.
- Case-level inputs, expected and observed results, reset/repeat behavior, failure reproductions, and console evidence are retained in the production-browser evidence record.
Case-level production evidence is retained in validation/browser-production/karnofsky-performance-status.json.
: Guided entry verification
- Added grouped source descriptions and a direct-grade shortcut while preserving one authoritative grade value.
- Passed 74/74 strict-engine, browser-serialization, guided/direct parity, and malformed-input checks.
- Confirmed that navigation state never becomes a score input and that no automatic cross-scale derivation was reintroduced.
: Calculation verification
- Replaced four grouped, defaulted fields with one required direct KPS grade in exact 10-point steps.
- Passed 32/32 exact-grade, exact-description, missing, extra, malformed, fractional, string, nonfinite, and boundary checks.
- Confirmed KPS 10 is moribund and only KPS 0 is death; removed automatic ECOG conversion and automatic treatment or survival recommendations.
- The separate performance-status panel remains unverified.
Verification confirms the calculator implementation against the cited model; it is not independent clinical validation, regulatory approval, or medical advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does KPS measure?
KPS records physical ability and functional impairment on an 11-grade scale from 100 through 0.
Does KPS 10 mean death?
No. KPS 10 is moribund, with fatal processes progressing rapidly. Only KPS 0 means death.
Does a KPS grade determine treatment or survival?
No. KPS documents function. Treatment, prognosis, dose, and trial decisions require the applicable protocol and individualized clinical assessment.
Evidence-based oncology decision support. Verify with clinical guidelines.