Joe Biden has advanced prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 9. What does that mean?

Former US President Joe Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has already spread to his bones.

An explanation of BIDEN's office issued on Sunday showed that bidges were diagnosed after the occurrence of urine problems.

BIDEN's office said his cancer had a Gleason value of nine out of ten. It also said that his cancer seems to be “sensitive to hormone, which enables effective management”.

So what is a Gleason game? And what does it mean that cancer is sensitive to hormone?

What is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer is every cancer that begins in the prostate, part of the male reproductive system. This small gland in golf ball size is under the bladder.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide. In Australia, every sixth men aged 85 are diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Some types of prostate cancer are a low risk, grow very slowly and may not require immediate treatment. Others are very aggressive and can spread to other tissues and organs.

What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?

Early types of prostate cancer usually do not cause symptoms and are therefore difficult to recognize.

In later stages, the symptoms of prostate cancer can often urinate, pain and/or weak electricity when urinating, blood in urine/seeds, back/pelvic pain as well as weakness in the legs or feet.

Advanced prostate cancer that has spread to bones can cause pain, tiredness and weight loss.

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Read more: How does cancer spread to other parts of the body?

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What is the Gleason game?

The Gleason score is a way to measure the aggressiveness of prostate cancer. It supports doctors in the categorization of prostate cancer types in different groups and in the selection of suitable treatments for patients.

In order to calculate the Gleason score, clinicists take several samples from the tumor, which are referred to as biopsies. In order to obtain every sample, a small needle is inserted into the tumor and a tissue treasure (usually about 12 millimeters long) is extracted for testing.

Since the different regions of the tumor can have different cancer cells, pathologists choose two different sections of the tumor biopsy, which they best represent the entire tumor.

Then evaluate each of the two sections with a score of 1 to 5th degree 1. The occurring cancer cells look very similar to normal, healthy cells. Grade 5 means that the cancer cells look very abnormal. The two classes are composed to achieve a patient's Gleason score.

Patients with a Gleason score of 6 or less are viewed than a low risk and may not require immediate treatment.

A Gleason score from 8 to 10 shows highly aggressive prostate cancer, which will probably grow quickly.

In Australia, 67.9% of men have a Gleason score of 7 or less when diagnosed.

It's not the only tool

The Gleason score is just a tool that use health professions for the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Other tools are blood tests for prostate-specific antigen (PSA, which are often increased in prostate cancer patients), physical examinations (such as a digital rectal examination) and the imaging of the tumor (as via CT scans, MRI or ultrasound).

Although we do not have all information about bidens diagnosis, a Gleason score of 9 shows that its cancer is very aggressive.

What is hormone -sensitive prostate cancer?

Hormones are chemical signals made by different glands in our body. They are released into the bloodstream and can activate various processes in different cells and tissues.

Hormones are very important for the normal functioning of our body, but some types of types of cancer also need hormones to grow.

Prostate cancer species that are “sensitive to hormone” need male sex hormones (also called androgens). Testosterone, which is mainly generated in the testicles, is an example of an androgen.

How are hormone -sensitive cancer treated?

Hormone therapies work either by reducing androgen levels or by blocking the function of androgens. This can slow down or even kill hormone -sensitive prostate cancer, as they depend on their continued growth and survival of androgens.

The therapy of androgen therapy is usually the first hormone therapy with prostate cancer. The aim is to reduce the androgen levels generated by the testicles either by surgical or chemical castration.

Other types of hormone therapy, which can also be used in combination with androgen therapy, include androgen receptor blockers. These drugs bind to cell receptors and block the interaction between the androgens and the cancer cells. This means that the cancer cells cannot access the androgens they need for growth.

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Read more: Every cancer is unique – why different types of cancer require different treatments and how evolution drives drug resistance

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Of course, hormones are also necessary for normal body functions, which means that blocking has side effects. Hormone therapies in prostate cancer often have side effects such as erectile dysfunction, weight gain, fatigue and osteoporosis, which makes bones weak and brittle.

While hormone therapy may not be pleasant, it is an effective treatment option. Prostate cancer that are insensitive to hormone therapies are much more difficult to treat and generally regarded as incurable.

In addition to hormone therapy, prostate cancer can also be treated with surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy – this depends on the patient.

In addition, many new treatments for prostate cancer types are currently being examined, including laser methods for removing cancer cells and auto-T therapy, which includes conversion of a patient's own immune cells into cancer control cells.

In patients whose prostate cancer spreads to their bones, the treatments usually aim to prevent the cancer from spreading and reducing the symptoms.

Biden and his family should now check the treatment options.