Know Your Gleason Score

There are many types of treatments for prostate cancer. Along with other medications, some men are treated with surgery or radiation. At other times, prostate cancer does not need to be treated. It can be “watched,” or monitored from year to year. The decision for treatment with surgery, radiation or watchful waiting depends on many factors. One is these factors is called a Gleason score. After undergoing a prostate biopsy, a doctor that specializes in looking at tissues on microscope, also known as a pathologist, will give a score to grade the cancer cell from not aggressive to aggressive. This is called a Gleason score. Let’s find out more about the Gleason score and how this number can be used to guide the treatment of prostate cancer.