Pre-surgical
Before the day of surgery, blood tests will be taken to determine the patient's PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels and to make sure there is no other illness present. Once the patient has been medically cleared for surgery, the doctor may prescribe pre-surgical antibiotics to decrease the risk of infection after the procedure. Certain medications (such as aspirin and ibuprofen) may need to be stopped as long as two weeks prior to surgery because they could promote excess bleeding. Right before the procedure an enema may also be ordered, especially if a transrectal biopsy is being done.
Anesthesia
The anesthesia to be used will be discussed prior to surgery. It may depend on the type of procedure that will be used. General anesthesia is rarely used for prostate cancer biopsies. Local anesthetic is usually given to numb the area of the prostate gland where the tissue biopsy will be taken. Patients are also often given sedatives for a calming effect. Once anesthesia has been given it can cause fatigue for 24 hours so driving and other activities may need to be avoided.
Procedure
There are a number of ways that a prostate cancer biopsy may be performed. Which one is chosen may depend on the specific location of the area in question and the doctor's expertise. The procedure choice will be discussed prior to surgery.
There are three most used procedures used to diagnose prostate cancer. A transrectal biopsy uses ultrasound to collect the tissue sample in the rectum through the anus. The transurethal biopsy uses a cystoscope to enter the urethra and let the doctor get directly to the prostate gland. And the transperineal biopsy requires an incision in the perineum to collect the samples.
Testing
During the prostate cancer biopsy, samples are taken from in and around the prostate. There could be a dozen samples taken from areas in and around the prostate. If a tumor is present, specific cells will be taken from that tumor. The tissue is examined by a pathologist to determine if there are cancerous cells. If the sample is malignant (cancerous), it is staged based on how far the cancer has spread outside the initial tissue area in the prostate gland, if at all. Staging in prostate cancer is often based on a "Gleason score" which is characterized by the pattern of the cancer cells.
Tags: prostate cancer, prior surgery, prostate gland, taken from, will taken, area prostate, area prostate gland
