What Happens During a Screening for Prostate Cancer?
If you and your doctor decide you should be screened, you’ll probably have one or both of these tests. Digital rectal exam (DRE). For a DRE, you bend over and your doctor inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum. Your prostate is next to your rectum. The goal is to feel for areas along the back of the prostate gland that might be cancer. The exam is uncomfortable, but not painful. It takes only a short time, and it can be done in your doctor’s office. Only a small number of prostate cancers are found this way. If your doctor feels anything abnormal, you may need more tests. These may include an ultrasound, biopsy, or both. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA)test. A PSA test measures a protein made by prostate cells called PSA. Your PSA level is typically high if you have prostate cancer. Most prostate cancers are found with this test. Doctors report the test results as ng/mL, which stands for nanograms per milliliter. If you are about age 65 and if your results are less than 4
