Gleason score 4+3 associated with greater prostate cancer risk
May 21st, 2009 Posted in prostate cancer risksThe Gleason scoring system is an important method of classifying prostate cancers based on the appearance of the prostate cancer cells under a microscope.
Gleason patterns range from one to five, with higher Gleason patterns being associated with more aggressive disease. The Gleason score, which ranges from two to ten and is calculated by adding the primary (most prevalent) and secondary Gleason patterns, is an important prognostic tool for clinicians. Studies showing that short-term outcomes for prostate cancer differ according to Gleason scores have helped to guide clinical practice. Now, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) have shown that Gleason score is a strong predictor of prostate cancer mortality and that mortality rates differ among patients with a Gleason score of seven depending on whether Gleason pattern four is primary or secondary. This research was published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. [ read full article ]