What is the prostate gland? It is an organ located near the bladder, found in men. It plays a role in urination and orgasm. It is one of the organs most afflicted by malignancy in males, usually after age 50.
How often should men bet tested? It is recommended that all men over 40 be seen by their doctore once every 5 years. Those over 50 are encouraged to have an annual checkup.
Tests take the form of an antigen specific procedure, and a rectal examination, done by digital means. Should the doctor feel that the likelihood of cancer exists, a biopsy will be recommended to the patient. A specialist – or more than one (urologist and pathologist, working together) will obeserve the biopsy (tissue) sample through a microscope. The results reported to the physician are known as the Gleason Score.
A grade of 1 to 5, or 2 to 10, depending on the specialist, will be given. The higher the number, the greater the chance of prostate cancer.
Since the condition can have many focal points, is is not uncommon to take up to a dozen biopsy samples. The pathologist will observe these and report the results of the two samples with the largest areas of cancerous cells. He will give the results in the form of a Gleason Score, which is made up of two grades as determined in the method outlined above. The results are given with the sample with the largest area of cancer first, and a total. For example Gleason score 3 + 2 = 5, is more advanced than 2 + 3 = 5.
Should a man be found to be suffering from prostate cancer, treatment options will be discussed. Prostate cancer is one of the slowest-growing malignancies; often, it is left untreated if not in a severe stage, due to to the fact that, at the age at which it may be diagnosed, a man may pass away from entirely unrelated causes, first. Read more at The Gleason Score: http://gleasonscore.net
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