What is the Origin of ISUP Grade Group?

ISUP stands for the International Society of Urological Pathology, the expert consensus body that developed and validated this grading system. The new Grade Groups were introduced in 2014 to address the clinical and pathological limitations of the original Gleason system, particularly its over-emphasis on low-grade disease. This evolution in nomenclature aims for greater clarity and clinical relevance in prostate cancer diagnosis.

What is the Mechanism of ISUP Grade Group?

The Grade Group is determined by a pathologist's microscopic examination of prostate biopsy tissue, where the most prevalent and second most prevalent tumor patterns are assessed and summed according to the Gleason system. These sums are then mapped to the five distinct ISUP Grade Groups, ranging from Group 1 (least aggressive) to Group 5 (most aggressive). This pathological mechanism provides a quantifiable measure of cellular differentiation and architectural disorganization.

ISUP Grade Group ∞ Area

ISUP Grade Group

Meaning

The ISUP Grade Group is a standardized, five-tiered grading system for classifying the severity of prostate cancer, superseding the traditional Gleason Score for clinical reporting. This contemporary system provides a more accurate and simplified prognostic tool for patients and clinicians, directly correlating the tumor’s architectural pattern with its biological aggressiveness and risk of progression. The Grade Group assignment is critical for determining appropriate management strategies, including active surveillance or definitive therapy, in this hormone-sensitive malignancy.