Don’t Biopsy Your Prostate: What They Don’t Tell You About Gleason 7, 8 & 9

Intellectual Medicine · Jun 30, 2026 · 22m · transcript

In this episode of Intellectual Medicine, Dr. Stephen Petteruti challenges the conventional thinking around prostate biopsies, Gleason scores, and treatment decisions for prostate cancer. He explains why a high Gleason score, including Gleason 7, 8, or 9, may indicate a higher risk of progression but does not automatically prove that aggressive treatment will improve survival. Drawing on studies including the PROTECT-T trial, he argues that surgery, radiation, and watchful waiting often show similar long-term prostate cancer mortality outcomes, while invasive treatments can carry serious…