Your risk stratification, also called a risk assessment, means that your doctors will take all the information they have about your prostate cancer to determine how aggressive the cancer is, how likely it is to impact your health, and your best treatment options.
Even with cancer in your prostate, you may not need treatment right away — or at all. Many people with prostate cancer are diagnosed with indolent cancer, which means it is growing slowly (or not at all) and unlikely to cause problems or become life-threatening.
What is my prostate cancer risk group?
You will be assigned to one of six risk groups ranging from very low risk to very high risk. Your risk group is based on the results and findings of several tests, including your:
- PSA level
- Grade group (based on your Gleason score from your biopsy)
- Tumor stage (based on the TNM staging system)
- Biopsy (the number of biopsy cores that showed cancer)
Prostate cancer risk groups
Risk group | PSA level | Grade Group | TNM score (tumor stage) | Biopsy results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Low risk | Less than 10 ng/mL | 1 | T1 to T2a |
|
Favorable intermediate risk | 10 to 20 ng/mL | 2 | T2b or T2c | Cancer found in fewer than half of all biopsy cores |
Unfavorable intermediate risk | 10 to 20 ng/mL | 2 or 3 | T2b or T2c | Cancer found in more than half of all biopsy cores |
High risk | More than 20 ng/mL | 4 or 5 | T3a to T4 |
|
Very high risk | More than 40 ng/mL | 4 or 5 | T3 to T4 |
|
What's my next step?
You and your care team can discuss what treatment options, if any, might be right for you based on your risk group, as well as your life expectancy and your goals.
Why a second opinion at Roswell Park matters
In about 10% of the prostate cases we review for a second opinion, the diagnosis — or risk group stratification — is changed, impacting your treatment options, decisions to make, and your way forward.