What is the Gleason score?
The Gleason score is the most common system for grading prostate cancer. The pathologist looks at the biopsy specimen under a microscope. That allows him or her to determine the grade. Cancerous tissue that looks similar to the normal prostate is given a low grade. Abnormal, fast-growing tissue is given a high grade. The pathologist reports a final Gleason score between 2 and 10. Prostate cancers with low scores are less likely to spread to other organs than those with high scores.
