The value of the modified Gleason grading system of prostate adenocarcinoma in routine urological diagnostics

In several consensus conferences of the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP), the Gleason grading system of prostatic carcinomas was modified and adapted to the routine histological diagnostics of specimens of core needle biopsies and radical prostatectomies. The main results are the documentation of all histological patterns (primary, secondary, tertiary) and a shifting of the maximal Gleason score of biopsies from 6 to 7a (3+4) and of radical prostatectomies from 6 and 7 to7a and 7b (4+3). Score 2 to 4 carcinomas do not exist in the peripheral prostate. pT2 prostatic carcinomas with good prognosis have a maximal score of 7a; pT3 carcinomas with poor prognosis have a most frequent score of 7b. The agreement of the Gleason scores of core needle biopsies and radical prostatectomy specimens is more than 80%. Inter- and intraobserver reproducibility is better than after the conventional Gleason grading. The prognostic value of scores 6 and 7a may be similar. The border between low- and high-grade prostatic carcinoma may be probably Gleason score 7a and 7b. The prognostic value of score 6 should be changed to score 7a in the different therapeutic options for prostatic carcinomas.