 Because symptoms for prostate cancer may not be apparent until the cancer is at a more advanced stage, regular screening is recommended. There is some controversy over when regular screening should begin and at what age. Most medical experts recommend yearly testing starting at age 50. Men with a strong family history and men who are at high risk due to other factors (such as African-American heritage) may want to consider beginning screening at age 40 or 45.
There are two primary screening tests used to detect prostate cancer today: the digital rectal examination (DRE) and the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test. Both cause little to no discomfort and are administered at USMDPCC.
Digital Rectal Exam
During a DRE, you may bend over or lie on your side on an examining table with your knees drawn up. This allows your physician to gently insert a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum. The physician can then feel the prostate to identify any abnormalities in size, contour, consistency and texture of the gland. The exam also allows your physician to identify whether blood is present in the stool and whether there may be any areas of concern in the rectum, either could be interpreted as cancer in the rectum or colon.
Prostate Specific Antigen
A simple blood test can evaluate the level of a particular protein that is a normal by-product of the prostate gland. The protein, called prostate specific antigen (PSA), is present in small amounts in the blood of all men. A higher than normal level could signal the possibility of prostate cancer. On the other hand, the PSA could be elevated due to infection, inflammation or benign enlargement of the prostate, or due to urinary retention.
The PSA was first developed in 1991 and is now used routinely in combination with the DRE to help identify early stage prostate cancer. The tests are not perfect and false positives can result. However, they are still the best available screening methods available today. New developments in the PSA testing process include PSA density, velocity, age-specific reference ranges and have further refined the accuracy of the PSA test. |
