The Gleason score is a rating system that was developed to rate
the severity of prostate cancer. By judging the microscopic
appearance of the cells extracted from a biopsy of the prostate,
physicians determine how advanced the cancer is. The more a
cancer cell looks like a normal cell, the less severe the case
is. Cells that lump together in a shapeless mass are more
malignant, and thus more severe. The Gleason score
differentiates these degrees of mutation into five grades. By
looking at the two most prevalent patterns of cancer cells in a
biopsy, a physician determines the Gleason Score by adding the
two together. For example, if your two most prevalent patterns
of cell mutation both rank as ones on the Gleason Scale, your
score would be two, which is the lowest score possible. Scores
of four or below represent slow-growing prostate cancer. Scores
between seven and 10 represent high grade prostate cancer. For
more information about the Gleason Score, contact a cancer
specialist in your area.