The Prostate Center, Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Ca. John J. Bauer Walter Reed Army Medical Center and University of the Health Sciences, and others. Article by Deborah Kuban, M.D. Eastern Virginia Medical School. ASCO Online, 1999. Normal body tissue cells are well-formed and differentiated to meet the functions of the specific body part.
Cancer cells are always atypical in some respect.
As long as the cancer is well differentiated then it looks more similar to normal cells. If the cells become progressively random and chaotic, the tumor is poorly differentiated or undifferentiated, and to a pathologist the stage of abnoramlity is visible under a microscope. The Gleason system is based on the architectural pattern of the glands of the prostate tumor. The Gleason grade and score are key pieces of information for making treatment decisions. Second Opinion Centers of Excellence, Prostate Pathology Urologic Pathology Laboratory Johns Hopkins Hospital is a nationally recognized center for prostate biopsy and study of urologic disorders.