Prostate Cancer Tumor Assessment

Prostate tumors, like other cancerous tumors, have several characteristics that must be assessed when determining prognosis and treatment options. Your doctor will look at a number of factors to determine the nature of your prostate cancer.

Gleason Grade

• Cancerous prostate cells have a grade of one to five. This grade indicates how much the cancerous prostate cells resemble normal prostate cells. Grade 1 tissue most closely resembles normal cells, while grade 5 cells are very different. Those falling in the 2, 3 and 4 range are somewhere in between.

Gleason Score

• A mass of cancerous prostate tissue usually has several areas where the grades of differentiation vary. The Gleason Score is the sum of the two areas that encompass the majority of cancerous cells. Scores range from 2 to 10. The larger the number, the higher the risk of rapid growth and spread.

Other Assessment Factors

• Besides determining the grade and score of the cancer, your doctor will look at other factors to determine the nature of your tumor. These include the number of tissue samples that had cancerous matter, the amount of cancer in these tissue samples and if the cancer is present in just one or both sides of the prostate.

Staging

• In addition to your Gleason Score, your doctor will perform certain tests and procedures like a digital rectum exam and PSA test to determine if the cancer is confined to the prostate or if it has moved beyond.

Prognosis

• Doctors use five-year survival rates as part of their prognosis. The American Cancer Society lists the following data for prostate cancer. Patients with tumors limited to the prostate and/or nearby areas have a 100 percent five-year survival rate. Those with stage 4 cancers that have moved to distant lymph nodes and other organs have a 31 percent five-year survival rate.