Loading...
Since its introduction in 1974, the Gleason score (the sum of primary and secondary tumor patterns) has been validated as a predictive and prognostic marker for patients with prostate cancer. Moreover, numerous studies have suggested that Gleason 4 + 3 tumors (in which pattern 4 is more prevalent than pattern 3) have worse prognoses than Gleason 3 + 4 tumors (in which pattern 3 is more prevalent than pattern 4). To further examine potential differences in Gleason score 7 subtypes, investigators assessed data on participants in two studies (the Physicians' Health Study and the Health Professional Follow-up Study) who developed prostate cancer between 1984 and 2004.
A total of 693 patients (mean age, 66) provided prostatectomy specimens, and 1…