Gleason 3 Plus 4 Prostate Cancer

Can The Gleason Score On My Biopsy Really Tell What The Cancer Grade Is In The Entire Prostate

Because prostate biopsies are tissue samples from different areas of the prostate, the Gleason score on biopsy usually reflects your cancers true grade. However, in about 1 out of 5 cases the biopsy grade is lower than the true grade because the biopsy misses a higher grade area of the cancer. It can work the other way, too, with the true grade of the tumor being lower than what is seen on the biopsy.

Technique Of Focal Therapy

A variety of techniques have been described, all involving the use of directed energy and image guidance. These include high intensity focused ultrasound , MR guided ultrasound, laser ablation, cryosurgical ablation, focal photodynamic therapy, electroporation, various forms of radiation. Ultimately, which of these therapies becomes widely used will be a reflection of precision of treatment, morbidity, cost, and availability and convenience. The principles and methods used with these directed energies have been described previously. The experience with these technologies used for focal therapy is summarized in the table below, in chronological order.

Most of the focal therapy data lacks robust endpoints. In most published studies, follow-up biopsies were usually not systematic, and in most studies the majority of patients were not biopsied. This is a potential source of bias, in that PSA and MRI may misidentify as responders some patients with residual disease. In patients having a biopsy, the rate of positive biopsies ranged from 14% to 50% . Further, most authors only biopsied the treated area. Biopsies of the untreated area were selective based on mpMRI.

The Ajcc Tnm Staging System

A staging system is a standard way for the cancer care team to describe how far a cancer has spread. The most widely used staging system for prostate cancer is the AJCC TNM system, which was most recently updated in 2018.

The TNM system for prostate cancer is based on 5 key pieces of information:

• The extent of the main tumor *
• Whether the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes
• Whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body
• The PSA level at the time of diagnosis
• The Grade Group , which is a measure of how likely the cancer is to grow and spread quickly. This is determined by the results of the prostate biopsy .

*There are 2 types of T categories for prostate cancer:

• The clinical T category is your doctors best estimate of the extent of your disease, based on the results of the physical exam and prostate biopsy, and any imaging tests you have had.
• If you have surgery to remove your prostate, your doctors can also determine the pathologic T category . The pathologic T is likely to be more accurate than the clinical T, as it is done after all of your prostate has been examined in the lab.

Numbers or letters after T, N, and M provide more details about each of these factors. Higher numbers mean the cancer is more advanced. Once the T, N, and M categories have been determined, this information is combined in a process called stage grouping to get the overall stage of the cancer.

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La Classification Clinique Tnm

T: Taille et étendue de la tumeur

TX La tumeur na pu être évaluéeT0 Absence de tumeur dans la prostateT1 La tumeur est de petite taille, se limite à la prostate et est non-palpable au toucher rectal. Il sagit dun cancer de la prostate localisé.

• T1a découverte dans 5% ou moins des tissus prélevés pour une autre affection
• T1b découverte dans plus de 5% des tissus prélevés pour une autre affection
• T1c découverte à la suite dune hausse de lAPS, dune biopsie de la prostate et peut être présente dans un ou deux lobes

T2 La tumeur est confinée à la prostate, mais palpable au toucher rectal et visible lors dune imagerie . Il sagit dun cancer de la prostate localisé.

• T2a la tumeur atteint la moitié ou moins dun lobe de la prostate
• T2b la tumeur atteint plus de la moitié dun seul lobe de la prostate
• T2c la tumeur atteint les deux lobes de la prostate

T3 La tumeur a commencé à se propager au-delà de la prostate, dans les régions qui entourent cette glande. Il sagit dun cancer de la prostate localement avancé.

• T3a la tumeur déborde de la capsule de la prostate sans atteindre les vésicules séminales
• T3b la tumeur atteint les vésicules séminales

T4 La tumeur sest propagée au-delà de la prostate, dans les structures avoisinantes autres que les vésicules séminales . Il sagit dun cancer de la prostate localement avancé.

N: Atteinte des ganglions lymphatiques régionaux

M: Atteinte des régions éloignées

How Is The Gleason Score Derived

The pathologist looking at the biopsy sample will assign one Gleason grade to the most predominant pattern in your biopsy and a second Gleason grade to the second most predominant pattern. For example: 3 + 4. The two grades will then be added together to determine your Gleason score. Theoretically, Gleason scores range from 2-10. However, since Dr. Gleasons original classification, pathologists almost never assign scores 2-5, and Gleason scores assigned will range from 6 to 10, with 6 being the lowest grade cancer.

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Relationship Of Gleason Grade To Pathologic And Clinical End Points

Increasing Gleason grade is directly related to a number of histopathological end points, including lymphvascular space invasion by carcinoma, tumor size, positive surgical margins, and pathological stage, including risk of extraprostatic extension and metastasis .

Prediction of pathologic stage by needle biopsy Gleason grade alone is possible but is not absolutely accurate for the individual patient. So, patients with lower-grade carcinomas are still at risk for having cancer spread outside the prostate, and not all patients with a high-grade carcinoma component will have carcinoma extension beyond the confines of the prostate gland. Clinically, needle biopsy Gleason grade is usually combined with other pretreatment factors, such as serum total PSA, % free PSA, local clinical T stage, and amount of tumor in needle biopsy, to predict pathologic stage. Perhaps the most commonly used data clinically are the so-called Partin tables, which combine needle biopsy Gleason grade, serum PSA, and clinical stage to provide estimates of risk for extraprostatic extension, seminal vesicle invasion, and lymph node metastasis. . Another nomogram available on the web uses biopsy Gleason grade, pretreatment PSA, clinical stage, and treatment information to calculate pathologic stage, and 5-year progression-free probability for radical prostatectomy, external beam radiation therapy, or brachytherapy.

Figure 11

What Is A Normal Gleason Score For Prostate Cancer

Your Gleason score doesn’t rank potential ranges like ranges set for elevated PSA tests. Instead, providers break Gleason scores into three categories:

• Gleason 6 or lower: The cells look similar to healthy cells, which is called well differentiated.
• Gleason 7: The cells look somewhat similar to healthy cells, which is called moderately differentiated.
• Gleason 8, 9 or 10: The cells look very different from healthy cells, which is called poorly differentiated or undifferentiated.

What are grade groups?

Healthcare providers established grade groups to clarify the Gleason score system. Those grade groups are:

• Grade Group 1 = Gleason 6 .
• Grade Group 2 = Gleason 3+4=7.
• Grade Group 3 = Gleason 4+3=7.
• Grade Group 4 = Gleason 8.
• Grade Group 5 = Gleason 9-10.

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Si Mon Cancer Se Propage

Endroits courants où le cancer de la prostate se propage

Une des caractéristiques des cellules cancéreuses est la capacité de se propager vers des régions du corps différentes de celle où elles ont pris naissance. Cette propagation peut survenir de trois façons différentes:

• Envahissement local: en croissant, la tumeur sétend dans les tissus voisins.
• Dissémination lymphatique: des cellules cancéreuses se détachent de la tumeur, entrent dans la circulation lymphatique et sétablissent dans un autre ganglion régional ou à distance.
• Dissémination hématogène: des cellules cancéreuses se détachent de la tumeur, entrent dans a circulation sanguine et sétablissent à un nouvel endroit.

Pour la plupart des cancers, les lieux de propagation sont connus et prévisibles. Dans le cas du cancer de la prostate, les cellules cancéreuses ont tendance à se propager aux endroits suivants:

• uretères
• cerveau

Urgences possibles liées à la propagation du cancer

Voici quelques-unes des conséquences sérieuses qui peuvent découler de la propagation du cancer de la prostate:

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Prostate Cancer Stages And Other Ways To Assess Risk

After a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer, doctors will try to figure out if it has spread, and if so, how far. This process is called staging. The stage of a prostate cancer describes how much cancer is in the body. It helps determine how serious the cancer is and how best to treat it. Doctors also use a cancer’s stage when talking about survival statistics.

The stage is based on tests described in Tests to Diagnose and Stage Prostate Cancer, including the blood PSA level and prostate biopsy results.

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What Does It Mean If My Biopsy Report Also Mentions Atrophy Adenosis Or Atypical Adenomatous Hyperplasia

All of these are terms for things the pathologist might see under the microscope that are benign , but that sometimes can look like cancer.

Atrophy is a term used to describe shrinkage of prostate tissue . When it affects the entire prostate gland it is called diffuse atrophy. This is most often caused by hormones or radiation therapy to the prostate. When atrophy only affects certain areas of the prostate, it is called focal atrophy. Focal atrophy can sometimes look like prostate cancer under the microscope.

Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia is another benign condition that can sometimes be seen on a prostate biopsy.

Finding any of these is not important if prostate cancer is also present.

What Does It Mean To Have A Gleason Score Of 6 Or 7 Or 8

The lowest Gleason Score of a cancer found on a prostate biopsy is 6. These cancers may be called well-differentiated or low-grade and are likely to be less aggressive – they tend to grow and spread slowly.

Cancers with Gleason Scores of 8 to 10 may be called poorly differentiated or high grade. These cancers tend to be aggressive, meaning they are likely to grow and spread more quickly.

Cancers with a Gleason Score of 7 may be called moderately differentiated or intermediate grade. The rate at which they grow and spread tends to be in between the other 2.

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The Importance Of An Accurate Gleason Score For The Treatment Of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in men. About 240,000 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, and in 130,000, the cancer is localized and low-risk. Although most prostate cancers are slow growing and unlikely to spread, most men receive immediate treatment with surgery or radiation. These therapeutic strategies are associated with short- and long-term complications, including impotence and urinary incontinence. Only a small number of men choose observational strategies, which may delay the initiation of curative therapy or avoid it completely.

Although the value of screening with a PSA serum blood test has come under question recently, it is still the only widely available screening test for prostate cancer. While a single PSA value alone may have debatable value, PSA velocity and PSA density can be indicators of change, good or bad. Biopsy of the prostate gland is frequently necessary to distinguish between the causes of an elevated serum PSA.

Dr. Feller is a Board Certified Radiologist at Desert Medical Imaging which has a MRI based prostate cancer program. Please visit their website www.desertmedicalimaging.com for more information or call 760.694.9559.

What Does It Mean If My Biopsy Report Mentions The Word Core

The most common type of prostate biopsy is a core needle biopsy. For this procedure, the doctor inserts a thin, hollow needle into the prostate gland. When the needle is pulled out it removes a small cylinder of prostate tissue called a core. This is often repeated several times to sample different areas of the prostate.

Your pathology report will list each core separately by a number assigned to it by the pathologist, with each core having its own diagnosis. If cancer or some other problem is found, it is often not in every core, so you need to look at the diagnoses for all of the cores to know what is going on with you.

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Risque De Progression Du Cancer De La Prostate

Risque faible

Votre cancer peut présenter un risque faible de progression si:

• votre taux dAPS est inférieur à 10 ng/mL, ou
• votre score de Gleason est de 6 ou moins, ou
• votre cancer est de stade T1 ou T2a

Risque modéré

Votre cancer peut présenter un risque modéré de progression si:

• votre taux dAPS se situe entre 10 et 20 ng/mL, ou
• votre score de Gleason est de 7, ou
• votre cancer est de stade T2b

Risque élevé

Votre cancer peut présenter un risque élevé de progression si:

• votre taux dAPS est supérieur à 20 ng/mL, ou
• votre score de Gleason est de 8, 9 ou 10, ou
• votre cancer est de stade T2c, T3 ou T4

Stage Iv Prostate Cancer Prognosis

Prostate cancers detected at the distant stage have an average five-year survival rate of 28 percent, which is much lower than local and regional cancers of the prostate. This average survival rate represents stage IV prostate cancers that have metastasized beyond nearby areas to lymph nodes, organs or bones in other parts of the body.

How We Treat Prostate Cancer

The prognosis for metastatic prostate cancer can be discouraging, but some treatment centerslike the Johns Hopkins Precision Medicine Center of Excellence for Prostate Cancerspecialize in innovative, individualized therapy with the potential to improve outcomes.

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The Number Staging System

There are a few different systems used for staging prostate cancer. A simplified number staging system is described below.

• Stage 1 The tumour is contained in the prostate. The tumour is too small to be felt when a doctor does a rectal examination or to be seen on a scan.

• Stage 2 The tumour is still contained in the prostate, but your doctor can feel it when they do a rectal examination.

• Stage 3 The tumour has started to break through the outer capsule of the prostate and may be in the nearby tubes that produce semen .

• Stage 4 The tumour has spread outside the prostate. It may have spread to areas such as the bladder or back passage . Or it may have spread further, for example to the bones.

Using the numbered staging system described above:

• stage 4 is known as advanced prostate cancer.

See also

The grade of a cancer gives an idea of how quickly the cancer might grow or spread. A doctor decides the grade of the cancer by how the cancer cells look under the microscope.

Doctors look at the grade of the cancer to help them plan your treatment.

Gleason is the most commonly used grading system for prostate cancer.

The Natural History And Molecular Biology Of Low Grade Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer develops with age in the majority of men, including those from all races and regions. In Caucasians, the chance of harboring prostate cancer is approximately the same as ones age thirty percent of men in their 30s, 40% in their 40s, 80% in their 80s . Most of these are microfoci and low grade, particularly in younger men. The high prevalence of microfocal prostate cancer has been confirmed in autopsy studies of Caucasians, Asians, and other ethnic groups going back more than 50 years. A recent autopsy study in Japanese and Russian men who died of other causes showed that overall 35% of both groups had prostate cancer, and 50% of the cancers in Japanese men aged > 70 were Gleason score 7 or above .

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Active Surveillance And Focal Therapy For Low

Laurence Klotz

Division of Urology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Canada

Correspondence to:

Keywords: Active surveillance focal therapy low risk prostate cancer minimally invasive conservative management biomarkers

Submitted Jun 01, 2015. Accepted for publication Jun 05, 2015.

doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2223-4683.2015.06.03

Le Cancer De La Prostate Localis

Le cancer de la prostate localisé se limite à la prostate elle-même, cest-à-dire quil ne sest pas propagé hors de celle-ci. De nombreux cancers localisés se caractérisent par une faible agressivité et une évolution lente. Les chances sont donc grandes pour quun tel cancer ne vous cause aucun problème tout au long de votre vie. Par contre, certains cancers localisés évoluent plus rapidement que dautres et peuvent se propager ailleurs dans votre corps.

Il nexiste aucun traitement idéal pour un cancer localisé chacun a ses avantages et ses inconvénients. Une prostatectomie radicale ou un traitement par radiothérapie pourrait être de mise, mais une simple surveillance étroite pourrait suffire à détecter à temps toute évolution du cancer. Discutez des traitements possibles avec votre urologue.

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Staging Of Prostate Cancer

The stage of a cancer describes its size and how far it has spread. The results of your tests help your doctors decide on the stage and plan your treatment.

We understand that waiting to know the stage and grade of your cancer can be a worrying time. We’re here if you need someone to talk to. You can:

Macmillan is also here to support you. If you would like to talk, you can:

• Chat to our specialists online.