Screening and Diagnosis for Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer - Screening and Diagnosis for Prostate Cancer

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Types of Screening for Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer may not show overt signs for years, but doctors may be able to find the disease at an early stage through two simple tests. During an annual physical examination doctors should evaluate the health of the prostate gland with:

DRE (Digital Rectal Examination) for Prostate Cancer:
Doctors feel the prostate through the rectum for tenderness, enlargement, hardness, or growths.

PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) for Prostate Cancer:
Doctors screen a blood sample for a specific protein that is elevated in men with prostate cancer and sometimes in those with benign prostate conditions.

Both DRE and PSA tests are usually conducted annually in men over the age of 50. Men in high-risk groups such as African-Americans or those with a strong family history of prostate cancer should consult their physician about being tested at a younger age. If the results of the DRE or PSA are abnormal, doctors may conduct any of the following diagnostic tests to learn more.

Additional Screenings for Prostate Cancer

Biopsy to Detect Prostate Cancer:
During a biopsy doctors remove a tissue sample for examination under a microscope. Guided by transrectal ultrasound, the doctor uses a narrow needle to take several biopsy samples from different areas of the prostate. A pathologist will be able to examine the biopsy specimen to determine if prostate cancer is present. If cancer is detected, the pathologist will grade the biopsy specimen, which helps to determine the aggressiveness of the prostate cancer. In some cases, a Urologist may also perform a lymph node biopsy to find out if the cancer has spread from the prostate to the lymph nodes.

CT Scan to Detect Prostate Cancer:
A computed tomography or CT scan can create a series of pictures of the body from many angles. It may detect enlarged lymph nodes, which could signal more advanced prostate cancer, infection, or the presence of a benign mass.

MRI to Detect Prostate Cancer:
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful for determining if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or to the bone. A new, more powerful transrectal MRI with spectroscopy provides detailed descriptions of the internal prostate anatomy in patients with prostate cancer. This information allows surgeons to tailor surgical therapy to each individual patient's needs.

Bone Scan to Detect Prostate Cancer:
In this procedure, doctors inject the patient with a radioactive material, and observe where the substance accumulates in an imaging scan. If prostate cancer has migrated from the prostate gland to the bones, the involved areas of bone show up as a "hot spot" on the scan.