A Patient's Guide to Prostate Cancer - Prostate Cancer Centre

The Gleason score is calculated by adding the two
Gleason grade numbers together – thus, the score
ranges from 1+1=2 to 5+5=10. Therefore, a Gleason
score of 3+2=5 suggests that most of the cancer is
Gleason Grade 3, with a smaller amount of Gleason
Grade 2. Prostate cancers with a Gleason score of 7
or greater will always contain at least some Grade 4
tumour and hence have a worse prognosis.
Understanding of the pathological grading is of
great importance for both the clinician and the
patient, as it will determine which treatment options
are available, as well as their likely success. Many
regional cancer centres will arrange for a specialist
Pathologist to review the microscopic slides of a
patient’s prostate cancer cells to confirm the
diagnosis before treatment begins.
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A Patient’s Guide to Prostate Cancer