Understanding Staging And Grades Of Prostate Cancer

A biopsy is needed to confirm that prostate cancer is present in your body. After the diagnosis is confirmed, it is classified into grades. All of this grading, staging, and PSA level can be confusing. We will try to help you make sense of the information you are being bombarded with.

First, PSA is a substance made in the prostate gland. The PSA level is usually low unless the patient has a higher count. A higher PSA level often signals a problem with the prostate and possibly cancer.

Cancers are graded which is a mark of the differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. These cells are inspected through a microscope and graded on a "Gleason" grade. The Gleason grading system uses a range from 1 to 5. If your cancer is graded as 1, it means the cancer cells that are clustered together look like normal prostate tissue. If the cancer cells do not resemble normal cells at all, the grade could be a 5. Doctors will examine the two areas of the prostate that has cancer cells and grade them individually. Those grades are then added together and will be on a scale from 2 to 10. A low Gleason score means that your cancer is a slow growing cancer. If it is a high-grade, your number is high on the grading scale; it means the cancer could be more aggressive in its growth.

Staging is another measurement that your doctor will talk to you about. Staging is rating the size of the cancer and where it is found. It also will tell you if the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, the bones, or other organs in the body. Staging is necessary so you and your doctor can decide how aggressive your treatment should be and which treatment is best for you.

There are two methods used to stage prostate cancer. There is a traditional method that classifies into four categories, A through D, and the second is TNM. This acronym stands for Tumor-Nodes-Metastases. The staging for the A-D method is:

-- A is early cancer. It means the cancer is only found within the prostate gland and cannot be felt by a rectal exam.

-- B is the stage when the tumor is found in the prostate gland and can be felt during a rectal exam.

-- In Stage C, the cancer is more advanced and has spread outside the prostate to surrounding tissue. Stage C cancer has not spread to lymph nodes or other organs.

-- Stage D is the most serious stage. It means the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and other sites in the body. That can include the ribs, spine, or other bones or organs.

TNM staging is a little simpler method. It looks at the tumor stage (T), if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes (N) and if the cancer has metastasized (M) to other sites of the body. Tumor stages are ranked as 1-4, lymph node involvement is graded N for zero, or 0-3. Metastasis is rated O or 1. MO means there has not been any metastasis and M1 means it has traveled to another location in the body.

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• Treatment Of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
• Corpora Amylacea -- What Is This Prostate Problem?
• Diagnosing Prostate Cancer
• Diagnosis Of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (bph)
• The Different Types Of Prostate Problem Diagnosis
• Disorders Of The Prostate
• Do You Have Prostate Cancer? You Are Not Alone!
• Fats, Red Meat, And Prostate Cancer
• Problems Of The Prostate Gland
• Good Nutrition And Prostate Cancer
• How Prostate Surgery Affects Sexual Function
• Are Prostate Problems Part Of Aging?
• New Hope For Men With Prostate Cancer
• Prostate Cancer Treatment
• Prostate Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Functions Of The Prostate Gland
• Prostate Inflammation Or Prostatitis
• Prostate Problems And The Risk Factors
• Prostate Problems And Their Psychology
• Prostate Problems Unveiled
• Prostate Problems
• General Prostate Problems, Symptoms, And Treatment
• Prostatitis: Another Prostate Disorder
• Risk Factors For Developing Prostate Cancer
• Sources Of Support For Prostate Cancer Patients And Their Families
• Surgery To Correct Prostate Problems
• Surgical Treatment For An Enlarged Prostate
• Symptoms Of An Enlarged Prostate
• Testing For Prostate Problems
• The Different Types Of Hormone Therapy
• The First Step In Diagnosing Prostate Problems
• The Life Cycle Of A Prostate Problem
• The Most Radical Treatment Of Prostate Disease
• The Prostate And Its Effects On Male Life
• The Prostate And Its Foe
• The Prostate Epidemic
• The Prostate Specific Antigen Test: How Does It Work?
• The Prostate: What Is It, Where Is It Found, And What Is Its Function?
• The Prostate
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• Three Common Prostate Disorders
• Treating Prostate Cancer With Hormone Therapy
• Treatment For Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
• Treatments For Prostate Cancer
• Understanding Staging And Grades Of Prostate Cancer
• What Can You Expect After Prostate Surgery?
• What Is Bph And What Are Its Symptoms?