Prostate exams are important to your health because they can help your doctor detect cancer while it is in the early stages. Prostate cancer is one type of cancer that has a very good survival rate if it is treated early. Because one out of every five men will develop prostate cancer at some point, it is important for all men to have regular examinations.
Annual
Visit your doctor for a prostate exam every year once you turn 50 years old. If you are at a higher risk of getting prostate cancer, then you should begin having regular exams at age 45. You may have a higher risk if your father or brother had prostate cancer or if you are African-American. African-American males have the highest risk of prostate cancer and Hispanic, Asian and Native American males have the lowest risk. Prostate cancer is fairly rare in men younger than 40 and rises each year thereafter. Men older than 65 have the highest incidence of prostate cancer.
Symptoms
See your doctor right away if you experience symptoms that may indicate prostate cancer even if it is not time for your physical exam. These symptoms include blood in your urine, pain in your lower back, hip pain, frequent urination at night and difficulty starting or stopping your urine flow. These symptoms can also be caused by other medical conditions. You need to see your doctor as soon as possible to determine the cause.
Tests
Undergo both the digital rectal exam (DRE) and a blood test called the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test during your annual prostate exam. The digital exam lets your doctor feel your prostate with his finger to determine if any lumps are present. The PSA test will reveal the level of antigens in your blood. If the level is high, it may indicate cancer. Further testing will be necessary because other factors can influence PSA levels in your blood. Statistics have shown that there is a 50% chance of having prostate cancer if your PSA count is over 10 mg/ml.
The PSA is an important diagnostic test because it is possible for your cancer to be located on your gland in a location that the doctor cannot feel with the digital exam. When your doctor does feel a lump, it turns out to be something other than cancer about half of the time. If your doctor feels a lump or if your PSA level is elevated, your doctor may then order a biopsy or ultrasound before making a cancer diagnosis.
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