Making Sense of your Gleason Score

Your Gleason score can give you a good indication of which stage of prostate cancer you are in, and the associated treatment recommendations.

If your PSA test results and/or DRE (digital rectal exam) come back out of range, your doctor will usually recommend a biopsy (removing a small sample from your prostate).

Your scores are taken from the results of your prostate biopsy.

The Gleason scale gives you a good indication of how you will respond to treatment, your odds of survival, and best treatment options.

How the Gleason Score is Calculated

There are gradations to the Gleason scale (1-5). Each number represents a Gleason grade (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

• - 1 represents the least aggressive form of prostate cancer and looks mostly like regular prostate cells under microscope.

• - 5 represents the most aggressive form and has highly irregular cells within the prostate gland.

Two biopsy sections are taken from your prostate (primary and a secondary). Your score is the representation of these two biopsies.

• - The primary biopsy represents at least 50% of the total cell mass.

• - The secondary biopsy represents between 5% and 50% of the total cell mass.

Each are graded from a 1 to a 5.

To calculate your score you add the two Gleason scale grades together.

Your primary grade (1 to 5) plus your secondary grade (1 to 5) equals your final Gleason score (2 to 10).

For example 3 + 4 = 7, resulting in a score of 7.

Understanding your Gleason Score

• - Low grade (well differentiated prostate cells): 4 or less.

• - Intermediate grade (moderately differentiated prostate cells): 4 to 7.

• - High grade (poorly differentiated prostate cells): 8 to 10.

Low Score: 4 or Less

The results from your biopsy show prostate cells that generally look normal and have a low tendency to spread.

Intermediate Score: 4 to 7

The results from your biopsy show prostate cells that look slightly irregular but still quite normal and have a higher tendency to spread.

High Score: 8 to 10

The results from your biopsy show prostate cells that are clearly irregular, in both size and shape, and have a fast tendency to spread.

Determining your Prostate Cancer Treatment

Your treatment of choice will depend on both your score and which stage of prostate cancer you are in.

Whether your prostate cancer has spread beyond your gland and how fast it's growing, are the biggest factors for which treatment approach you will ultimately decide upon.