“How are prostate biopsy results given?”

The pathologist gives each core a number in the pathology report, and each core will get its own diagnosis. We give what is called a Gleason Score or grade. It is the predominant pattern in your biopsy and a second predominant Gleason grade pattern. Gleason range from 2-10. However, since 2-5 almost never assign scores. Gleason scores range from 6-10. The risk group are as follow; low/very low grade is less than 6. Equals to group 1. Intermediate (favorable or unfavorable) is 7. (3+4) or (4+3) respectively. High/ Very high, grade 4 Gleason 8, and group 5, Gleason 9-10. The diagnosis also includes the clinical stage. Thank you.

The results depend on what the pathologists sees microscopically. The results can be normal, show some form of inflammation, tissue changes ranging from totally benign to some degree of prostate cancer.

The main issue in the report is: is there cancer or no cancer. If there is cancer, then the amount of cancer tissue and score of cancer cells to assess the degree of danger on the Gleason scale. If there is no cancer, then there may be a description of other findings.

Biopsy cores were taken from several different areas of your prostate to get a representative sampling of the entire gland. After the procedure, the tissue samples were sent to our laboratory. There, a pathologist examined the biopsy cores under a microscope and determined that there were cancerous cells present.

As a report that will be sent to the ordering doctor.