The PSA, the Grade
and the Stage

Taken together, PSA, Grade, and Stage will help your doctor figure out which treatments might be successful in controlling or curing your cancer.

Just to review, here’s what these numbers mean.

1. The PSA

Although the test is not perfect, here are some guidelines.

• The lower the PSA, the better the chances are that treatment (watchful waiting, or surgery, or radiation) will be successful.
• The higher the PSA, the less likely that treatment will be successful.

2. The GRADE of the cancer
(This is also called the Gleason Sum)

The grade gives a good guess about how fast the cancer seems to be growing.

• With a low grade, the tumor may be slow growing. If so, it may be slow growing for years. It may never cause problems for you.
• With a high grade, you are in danger of having it spread beyond the prostate. The higher the grade, the faster growing (or more aggressive) the cancer.

3. The STAGE of the cancer

The cancer stage gives you a good guess about how much it may have spread.

• The lower the stage, the better the chance of a successful treatment.
• As the stage gets higher, chances of a successful treatment go down.