The Prostate Cancer Gleason Score Has Five Grades For Diagnosing Prostate CancerThe prostate cancer Gleason score is a grading system that was named after Dr. Donald F. Gleason, the doctor who created this system. The prostate cancer Gleason score (or grade) is used to describe the prostate cancer tissue as it appears under a microscope. The prostate cancer Gleason score is not the only system that is used to grade the appearance of the cancer cells, but it is one that is more commonly used in the United States. How the Prostate Cancer Gleason Score is Used to Diagnose Cancer Pathologists use various types of information to examine the specimen that is taken from the prostate during a biopsy. The prostate cancer Gleason score is often inconsistent among pathologists who read the same biopsy report. This is because many lacks the formal training necessary because they were practicing before this system became widely used in diagnosing cancer. This has led to conservative diagnoses when a pathologist cannot definitively say that a person has cancer. They may sooner recommend another biopsy before diagnosing cancer to later find out that the prostate is actually cancer free. In these cases of uncertainty, the pathologist may use words and phrases such as atypical, suspicious, and, "cannot rule out" to describe what they have found in the prostate. Alternatively, the hesitancy to underdiagnose the prostate cancer Gleason score can possibly lead to delayed or inaccurate treatment of the prostate. This system evaluates how the cells from prostate can assimilate to resemble a normal prostate. This is called a differentiation where the cancer is not aggressively malignant. The grading system ranges from a very well differentiated grade 1, to a grade 5 which is poorly differentiated. Prostate Cancer Gleason Score - The Five Grades When Dr. Gleason developed this system, he identified five levels from which patients can have very different prognoses for prostate cancer. Each grade is briefly described below. Gleason Grades 1 and 2 In grades 1 and 2, the prostate appears near normal. The least amount of the prostate cancer population will have either of these grades. Gleason Grade 3 Grade 3 is the most common and is well differentiated. Each gland unit is separated by prostate muscle which is significant in a grade 3 diagnosis. The cancer cells are darker and the shapes of the glands will vary. Gleason Grade 4 A patient whose diagnosis reveals that a high level of grade 4 is present is likely to receive the worse prognosis. It is very important that pathologists distinguish grade 4 from grade 3. Gleason Grade 5 Grade 5 is less common in patients who are diagnosed with prostate cancer in its early stages.
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