If you are a man you are extremely likely to suffer from one prostate problem or another at some stage in your life. As long as you are under 50 years of age {this|then this} is likely to be prostatitis (an inflammation or infection of the prostate gland) and, if you are over the age of 50 then it is also fairly likely to be a case of an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH). Furthermore, a significant number of men over the age of 50 will also develop prostate cancer.

A significant difficulty with all of these problems of the prostate gland is that they frequently show very similar symptoms and you can, for instance, be having difficulties urinating as a result of both inflammation of the prostate and an enlarged prostate gland. In many cases these conditions will not be accompanied by any symptoms in their early stages and the real danger here is that you may be developing prostate cancer without even knowing it.

So, if you are suffering from any sort of prostate symptoms, you ought to consult your doctor. Equally, if you are over 50 years of age you ought to request your doctor for regular checks for prostate problems, even if you are not presently experiencing any symptoms of a problem.

The two most often performed tests for prostate problems are the digital rectal examination, which is a physical examination of the prostate gland looking for signs of abnormalities, and the PSA, or prostate specific antigen, blood test that checks for a protein in the blood the level of which is an indicator of prostate cancer. However, when all is said and done, the only sure test for prostate cancer is to have a prostate biopsy exam.

The commonest prostate biopsy uses a transrectal ultrasound probe that guides the doctor to the prostate gland and then uses a hollow needle to collect several tissue samples from different areas of the prostate gland for microscopic examination. Another commonly used type of biopsy is the insertion of a biopsy needle through the skin between the anus and scrotum and into the prostate to once again collect the samples needed. In both cases the tissue samples will indicate the presence and spread of any cancer, together with just how aggressive the cancer is.

A prostate biopsy examination is not the most pleasant of procedures producing a brief and uncomfortable sensation as each sample is taken, but it is happily quite short (lasting about 15 minutes) and is often done in the doctor’s office using a local anesthetic. Following your biopsy you will probably be sore and will also notice a little blood in your urine and possibly some mild bleeding from the rectum. It is also not uncommon to experience small amounts of blood in your semen and this can be noticeable for some weeks.

Tags: biopsy, digital rectal exam, dre, prostate, prostate biopsy, prostate cancer, prostate gland, psa