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What is a digital rectal examination (DRE)?

April 26, 2017digital DRE Rectal

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What is a digital rectal examination (DRE)?

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The prostate gland is very close to the rectum. If your doctor does a DRE (a simple examination in which a lubricated gloved finger is passed into the rectum) the prostate can be felt and checked for lumps or changes in size. A DRE alone cannot tell you if you have prostate cancer. Many cancers are missed by this examination, so if the doctor finds nothing it does not always mean you do not have cancer.