Gleason Scores and Prostate Cancer

Understand first and foremost that prostate cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer afflicting a human being.  A lot of people have tried their hands in putting the measures of this disease objectively.  This exercise has been carried out in the past considering that the symptoms of prostate cancer can be varied and individuals would need to be classified on the basis of objective grades of prostrate cancer.

What is Gleason Scoring?

In simple terms, Gleason Scoring involves study of biopsy specimen of patients to understand tumor patters.  These tumor patterns are understood in order to understand the prognosis of prostrate cancer.  Doing so enables a lot of physicians to get equipped to treat the patients.  Doctors have said that patients suffering from Prostate cancer can be treated effectively only if its cause is clearly understood.

Who does Gleason Score on a biopsy specimen?

Gleason scores are prepared as a coherent combination of the efforts of the urologist and the pathologist.  Basically, for the correct diagnosis of the gravity of the cancer, the blood and the urine samples need to be studied.  Deviations in the diagnosis by both the entities may result in a huge overlap of results of Gleason Scores.  Medical Analysts say that the best way of determining the accuracy of Gleason Scoring is to take the scores in one hand and compare them with the Gleason score of the cancer in the gland.

The mathematics and science of Gleason Scores

As per medical science, the pathologist studies the tumor patterns that are microscopic nature.  In doing so, the pathologist deduces the extent of damage caused to the normal glandular tissue. 

Mathematically, Gleason Score is arrived at by adding the scores of primary grade (Majority) and Secondary grade (Minority) tumors.  The sum is indicated on a scale of 2-10, with 2 indicating the most benign cases of cancer.

It may look to normal eye that Gleason scoring is a foolproof technique.  In hindsight, a lot of medical analysts have come up with glaring discrepancies in the Gleason Scoring process.  With all the facts in hand, it may look like that we are living with something near perfect till the time we get the perfect measurement mechanism.