Joe Biden's Prostate Cancer Has A Gleason Score Of 9: What It Means

Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, and it has spread to his bones, his office said on Sunday. The 82-year-old was diagnosed after experiencing urinary symptoms. A prostate nodule was found, and tests confirmed the cancer.

What Is Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is a disease that develops in the prostate gland, a small, walnut-shaped organ located below the bladder and in front of the rectum in men. The prostate produces fluid that mixes with semen to help nourish and transport sperm, according to the National Cancer Institute. Prostate cancer occurs when cells in the prostate begin to grow uncontrollably, forming a tumour.

How Common Is Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the US. According to US government data, approximately 12.9 per cent (one in eight) of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during their lifetime.

It is highly treatable if caught early, but remains the second leading cause of cancer death among men.

Joe Biden's prostate cancer has been given a Gleason score of 9.

What Is A Gleason Score?

A Gleason score is a grading system used by doctors to understand how aggressive a prostate cancer is. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this score is set after a medical pathologist examines tissue samples from the prostate under a microscope. It helps doctors figure out how much the cancer cells differ from normal, healthy prostate cells and how likely the cancer is to grow or spread.

How The Gleason Score Is Calculated

When studying the tissue, doctors give two grades, each between 1 and 5. Grade 1 means the cancer cells look almost like normal cells. Grade 5 means the cells look very abnormal. Since cancer can appear differently in various parts of the prostate, doctors take the two most common grades and add them together.

For example, if the most common pattern is Grade 4 and the next most common is Grade 5, the total Gleason score is 9. A score of 6 is considered low-grade cancer, while 7 is moderate, and scores from 8 to 10 are high-grade and more serious, as per the National Library of Medicine.

What Joe Biden's Gleason Score Means

Joe Biden's Gleason score is 9, placing it in the highest category. This means the cancer cells in his prostate look very different from normal cells and are more likely to grow or spread quickly.

In medical terms, such cancer is called "poorly differentiated" or "undifferentiated," as per the Cleveland Clinic.

Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer

• Difficulty starting or stopping urination
• Weak or interrupted urine flow
• Frequent urination, especially at night
• Pain or burning during urination
• Blood in urine or semen
• Pain in the back, hips, or pelvis that doesn't go away