Key points
- A biopsy is the main tool for diagnosing prostate cancer.
- If prostate cancer is diagnosed, other tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the prostate or to other parts of the body.
Biopsy
A biopsy is a procedure that can be used to diagnose prostate cancer. A biopsy is when a small piece of tissue is removed from the prostate and looked at under a microscope to see if there are cancer cells.
A Gleason grade group is determined when the biopsy tissue is looked at under the microscope. If there is a cancer, the grade indicates how likely it is to spread. The grade group ranges from 1 to 5. The lower the grade group, the less likely it is that the cancer will spread.
A biopsy is the main tool for diagnosing prostate cancer, but a doctor can use other tools to help make sure the biopsy is made in the right place. For example, doctors may use transrectal ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to help guide the biopsy. With transrectal ultrasound, a probe the size of a finger is inserted into the rectum and high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off the prostate to create a picture of the prostate called a sonogram. MRI uses magnets and radio waves to produce images on a computer. MRI does not use any radiation.
Staging
If prostate cancer is diagnosed, other tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the prostate or to other parts of the body. This process is called staging. Whether the cancer is only in the prostate, or has spread outside the prostate, determines your stage of prostate cancer. The stage of prostate cancer tells doctors what kind of treatment you need.
Resources
- Gleason Score and Grade Group (Prostate Cancer Foundation)
- Understanding Your Pathology Report: Prostate Cancer (American Cancer Society)