This is the least dangerous type of cancer.
The cells look most like normal prostate cells and are described as being "well-differentiated".
This type of cancer tends to be slow growing. |
Intermediate cancers may behave like low-grade or high-grade cancers.
The cells' behaviour may depend on the volume of the cancer and the PSA level.
This is the most common grade of prostate cancer. |
High-grade cancers are usually very aggressive and quick to spread to the tissue surrounding the prostate.
These cancer cells look least like normal prostate cells and are usually described as "poorly-differentiated". |
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The tissue samples taken from your prostate during biopsy are examined under a microscope by a pathologist. A grade of one (low grade) to five (high grade) are assigned to the two most common patterns of cancer seen under the microscope. These are:
1) How the cells look (on a scale of 1 to 5).
2) How the cells are arranged (on a scale of 1 to 5).
These two numbers are then combined to give a Gleason Grade score of 2-10 .
This chart describes the type of cancer usually associated with each grade of cancer. A lower Gleason indicates a well differentiated, or a lower potential to spread. A higher Gleason grade indicates a poorly differentiated cancer, or more likely to spread. The Gleason grade is an important factor in the doctor's decision to recommend a treatment plan to a patient.
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