Figure 3.

Schematic overview of the Gleason growth patterns in prostate cancer. Three‐dimensionally, two morphological subgroups of growth pattern are observed. Gleason pattern 3, poorly formed and fused Gleason pattern 4 and Gleason pattern 5 cords form the first subgroup, in which the vast majority of the tumour cells make direct contact with the surrounding stroma. The second subgroup consists of cribriform Gleason pattern 4 and solid Gleason pattern 5; the vast majority of tumour cells do not make contact with the surrounding stroma. Comedonecrosis might be present in this subgroup. Glomeruloid structures represent a morphological intermediate pattern between the two subgroups.