Trends in reporting Gleason score 1991 to 2001: changes in the pathologist's practice

The prostate specific antigen (PSA) era has been associated with a grade migration towards moderately-differentiated (Gleason 5-7) prostate cancer. We investigated whether changes in interpretation of the Gleason system could be a contributing factor by reviewing the Gleason scores for prostate cancer in our region.

Records of patients with prostate cancer assigned a Gleason score between 1991-2001 were retrospectively reviewed. We analysed trends in Gleason score, method of diagnosis and age at diagnosis. Following this, 50 cases from the dataset were randomly selected (stratified to contain half Gleason 2-4 reports) and reviewed in a blinded manner by an uropathologist and given a new Gleason score.

2737 patients were diagnosed and given a Gleason score; 1484 by prostate biopsy (PB) and 1172 by transurethral resection of prostate (TURP). 273 radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens were received, although the results of pre-operative biopsies were available in only 192 of these patients. Over time, there was an increase in the proportion of patients with Gleason 5-7, and a significant decrease in reporting of Gleason 2-4 cancer (r2 = 0.81, p < 0.0001). In 1991, 24% of cancers were Gleason 2-4; in 2001 this had decreased to 2.4%. TURP was associated with more Gleason 2-4 reports (23%) compared with PB (13.2%) and RP (9.2%). On blinded review, all Gleason 2-4 reports were upgraded to Gleason 5-7 cancer (p < 0.001).

Over time, the proportion of Gleason 2-4 prostate cancer reported has significantly decreased. Our study suggests that a change in practice by the pathologist is a significant factor in this grade migration.