More men than you might think are affected by prostate cancer each year. According to current estimates(Globocan 2020), it’s the third most common cancer in Filipino Men. As a result, it is recommended that men over the age of 50 undergo routine prostate cancer diagnostic tests or screenings every two years.
It is the prostate that is affected by prostate cancer. The prostate is a golf ball-sized gland that is located beneath the bladder and in front of the rectum. Your symptoms and medical history will be reviewed by your doctor in order to determine whether you have prostate cancer. Risk factors such as age, race, family history, and way of life are all common. Your doctor will recommend a prostate cancer screening based on the information gathered during the examination.
Different Prostate Cancer Diagnostic Tests
Because prostate cancer symptoms are similar to those of other diseases, your doctor will perform a series of tests to rule out any other possible causes and make an accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer. The following are the most frequently performed prostate cancer diagnostic tests.
Digital Rectal Exam
A digital rectal exam is a procedure in which your doctor checks your prostate gland manually using a finger through a rectal examination. They will examine the gland to determine if there are any lumps or unusual growths.
Physical changes to the prostate gland can occur as a result of prostate cancer. Other prostate conditions, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis, share this symptom, which is why it is important to recognize it. If your doctor notices any abnormalities during the digital rectal exam, he or she may recommend additional prostate cancer testing as a precaution.
Prostate-specific antigen is the name given to the protein produced by the prostate gland (PSA). It is possible that your prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels are elevated if you have prostate cancer.
In order to perform a PSA blood test, your doctor will draw your blood and send it to a laboratory for examination. A few days after receiving the results, they will be processed. Keep in mind that elevated PSA levels do not necessarily indicate the presence of cancer.
During your routine checkup, your doctor will check your PSA levels. Depending on how quickly the levels rise, you may be required to undergo additional prostate cancer diagnostic tests.
Besides serving as an initial screening tool, a PSA blood test can be used to evaluate a cancer diagnosis that has already been made. The results can help determine whether or not cancer treatment is effective.
Prostate Ultrasound
If you have abnormal results from your PSA testing or digital rectal exam, your doctor may recommend that you have a prostate ultrasound done to rule out prostate cancer.
As part of the ultrasound examination process, the urologist will place a thin ultrasound probe into the rectum. In order for the machine to generate an image of the prostate, sound waves emitted by the instrument must first bounce off the prostate itself. A prostate ultrasound is typically performed in conjunction with a biopsy of the prostate.
A prostate biopsy can be used to confirm the presence of cancer in the prostate. Small amounts of prostate tissue are typically removed using a small needle that is inserted through the ultrasound probe by the doctor. These samples are sent to a laboratory where they are checked for cancer cells.
A biopsy can be performed in a number of different ways. One novel approach makes use of cutting-edge diagnostic technology. The 3D ultrasound and 3D MRI used in an MRI fusion-guided biopsy help your doctor identify tumors and perform a targeted biopsy during the procedure.
So what to do now?
If you have abnormal results from your PSA testing or digital rectal exam, your doctor may recommend that you have a prostate ultrasound done to rule out prostate cancer.
If you are 50 years or older, it is generally recommended that you undergo a digital rectal exam as well as PSA blood testing once a year to check for prostate cancer. If you have a family history of prostate disease, however, it is best to begin annual screenings between the ages of 40 and 45 years old. Early detection of prostate cancer has been shown to improve clinical outcomes and survival rates by a significant margin.
Anyone interested in having their prostate checked may do so by visiting any UROLOGIST.
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