Prostate Cancer Test

There are primarily three tests performed to detect the presence of prostate cancer. They include the prostate-specific antigen test, the digital rectum examination, and the biopsy. Further, these tests are typically performed in the aforementioned order.

The prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test is a blood test. Clinicians measure the levels of PSA in the blood. In most cases, a normal male may have a PSA level of four nanograms per milliliter of blood. However, in males experiencing symptoms of prostate cancer, the PSA level could be as high as 10 ng/ml. Levels between those two measurements are considered borderline. The PSA is preferably conducted prior to the digital rectum examination, or DRE, as this test may artificially increase PSA levels.

During the DRE, a physician will insert a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum. The physician will feel the size and shape of the prostate for any indications of prostate cancer. Such indications include areas of hard or lumpy tissue. By stimulating the prostate in this manner, the physician is artificially increasing the PSA level of the patient. This is why the DRE is performed after the PSA.

Finally, the only surefire method of diagnosing prostate cancer is a prostate biopsy, which is typically performed only after a DRE has resulted in the indications of prostate cancer. A biopsy "gun" inserts and then removes anywhere between 3 to 6 needles into both sides of the prostate to secure tissue samples in less than a second. The tissue samples then undergo microscopy to determine the existence of cancer cells and to what extent those cells are active.

It should be noted that there are other tests for the existence of prostate cancer. Transrectal ultrasonography bounces sound waves off of the prostate to construct a sonogram of this organ. Intravenous pyelogram simply x-rays the prostate and urinary tract. Cytoscopy is a procedure involving a camera-equipped tube that is inserted into the urethra and bladder.