Bidens prostate cancer and Gleason score 9 explained

At the weekend, President Joe Biden's office announced that former President had prostate cancer who spread to his bones.

“On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which is characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Gradgruppe 5) with metastasis to the bone,” says the official explanation.

The statement also categorized its diagnosis as a “more aggressive form of the disease” and found that certain hormone -based treatments are available.

Biden's diagnosis sent shock waves across the country and in the world together with people who were faced with this diagnosis.

In the United States, prostate cancer is diagnosed in one of eight people, which makes it the most common type of cancer in men. Treatments are available, regardless of whether they are caught early or in later phases, like those of biden.

In the following, the doctors explain what bidens diagnosis means and what they should know about early detection.

A Gleason score applies exclusively to prostate cancer and is used by doctors to measure how advanced it is.

“The Gleason score is one of the first measures that describes the appearance of the cancer under the microscope. And that is a very strong indicator of how aggressive prostate cancer is,” said Dr. Michael Leapman, clinical program manager of the prostate and urological cancer program in the Yale Cancer Center in Connecticut.

In the official explanation, BIDEN's office announced that he has a Gleason value of 9 and Grade Group of 5. The gradual group refers in the new way how doctors refer to a Gleason value of 5 measurements, and Gradgruppe 5 is “the highest note that we assign prostate cancer,” said Leapman.

In the old Gleason system, which lies from 6 to 10, Bidens Gleason Score belongs to a 9 [of prostate cancer]“, Said Dr. Jason Efstathiou, radiation toncologist at Mass General Brigham in Boston.

“And what does that mean? It means that it can grow quickly and rather spreads,” said Efstathiou.

“When prostate cancer has spread beyond the prostate, the most common places are the lymph nodes and/or the bone, and if it spreads out, it is called metastatic prostate cancer, and that makes it more serious to heal it,” said Efstathiou. In Biden's case, it has spread to the bones according to the official explanation.

About 5-10% of prostate cancer are diagnosed after the spread, according to Efstathiou. “Gleason 9 types of cancer are more common than with the diagnosis of metastatic or later metastatic,” said Efstathiou.

“Unfortunately, prostate cancer that has left the bones is currently not curable. We have no remedies for prostate cancer that metastasized,” said Leapman.

Although there is currently no healing, there are other ways to extend a person's lifespan. “Fortunately, we have very good treatments that can control and reduce prostate cancer that have been metastasized for many, many years,” added Leapman.

Cancer research has grown in recent decades to enable therapies and treatments for patients, said Dr. Nitim Yerram, co-director of urological oncology at the John Theurer Cancer Center at the Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.

The official explanation from BIDEN's office states: “The president and family check the treatment options with his doctors.”

And while none other than bidens of their own care team knows their current treatment options, experts indicate that there are some frequent treatment routes for metastatic prostate cancer.

“About patients in whom prostate cancer is initially diagnosed who have spread beyond the prostate with metastatic prostate cancer, the treatment typically includes a combination of therapies, but the backbone is by far the backbone as hormone therapy,” said Effathiou.

“And what does hormone therapy do? It reduces testosterone and testosterone production and can also block the effect of testosterone – and testosterone is actually the fuel for prostate cancer, and what these hormone therapies do, the fuel supply and the prostate cancer cells cut off,” he explained.

Hormone therapy is usually combined with other therapies, he added. “While the backbone is hormonal therapy, research and studies have shown in recent years that adding other targeted therapies can improve the survival and the results.”

Radiation therapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy are examples of other targeted therapies that can help control the symptoms and the disease, and add EFSTHIOUUUUM.

“If these advanced prostate cancer species are diagnosed in you or with a loved one, it is important that you know that there are not many effective treatments that research has moved quickly. In the past two decades there has been well over a dozen new medicinal therapies for metastatic prostate cancer,” he said.

“Although it is serious, there is hope and there is also progress.”

“We know that the best we can do to reduce the risk of a person, to die from prostate cancer or to develop metastatic prostate cancer, is to find it early,” said Leapman.

The best way to do this is due to the PSA screening, which “a blood marker called PSA, which stands for prostate -specific antigen, and if this level is increased, this can be an indicator that prostate cancer is available,” said Leakman.

The official guidelines recommend PSA screenings for men aged 55 to 69. However, you should speak to your family doctor to determine whether the PSA screening is suitable for you and at what age.

“Some of the guidelines would start at the age of 50, and some guidelines even recommend a PSA basis -PSA between 45 and 49,” said Efstathiou.

As mentioned above, some people have a higher risk of prostate cancer – black men, those with family history and those with certain genetic mutations. For these people, the PSA screening should “certainly be considered,” said Efstathiou.

In the official explanation of the diagnosis of biden, “increasing urine symptoms” were mentioned. But it is often a symptomless cancer, said Yerram.

“Most men who diagnosed prostate cancer have no symptoms because we catch things early,” said Leapman.

This applies in particular in the early stages, added Efstathiou.

However, this does not mean that there are never signs. “When [symptoms] Occurrence that could manifest as urinary difficulties, such as difficulties starting or stopping the urine current, more frequent urination, a weak electricity, ”said Efstathiou.

It can also be present as blood in the urine or sperm, he added.

When it comes to more advanced prostate cancer, it could sometimes occur – but not often – with bone pain, weight loss or tiredness, said Efstathiou.

If you have one of these symptoms, it is important to speak to your doctor, said Efstathiou.

“Prostate cancer is not the one who usually spreads quickly,” said Yeram. “So, [Biden] I have had this for some time and I am sure that it recently did not diagnose before the recently published, ”said Yerram.

As a rule, the routine -PSA screening is not recommended for people over the age of 70, he added. “In view of the president's age, I may not have received a routine -PSA -screening -I cannot speak specifically with his care, but I would say that the chance of having aggressive prostate cancer while routinely becomes a blood test of the PSA,” said Yeeram. (For this reason, doctors usually recommend PSA screening, added Yeeram.)

“The time from cancer development to symptoms can vary greatly. Even aggressive prostate cancer can run for months or even years before the occurrence of symptoms. In some cases, the disease has already spread. Therefore, regular screening and early evaluation are of crucial importance, especially in men with higher risk,” said Efsthiou.

Men with greater risk include people with certain genetic mutations, black men and those with a family history of the disease, added Efstathiou.

“It is even possible that some advanced prostate cancer with low PSA and very quickly develop,” remarked Efstathiou.

“Of course, Gleason 9 Prostatacreak diseases can grow faster and have a greater ability and likelihood to spread, and that can happen quickly – although this timeline can be very different,” said Efstathiou.

“The only thing I really want to emphasize in the current climate, and this is the most important thing if federal financing is broken down for research and the NIH is disappointed, and all other support that the government is slowly taking away is able to provide new therapies to help patients,” said Yerram. “And I'm sure [Biden] Will be someone who benefits from all of this, ”he said.

“I think it should be rethinking what happens in our country and really emphasize that it is really the government that helps with the further development of new therapies, and we should really work for such funds,” remarked Yerram.