What is a digital rectal examination or DRE?
In a digital rectal examination or DRE the physician — while wearing a lubricated surgical glove — inserts his finger into the patient’s rectum, thus allowing the physician to feel the prostate through the rectal wall. The apparent presence of hard or lumpy areas in the prostate is a very strong indication of the presence of prostate cancer. (For more information you may want to look at the section on DRE in PSA, DRE, …, and other diagnostic acronyms.
In a digital rectal examination or DRE the physician — while wearing a lubricated surgical glove — inserts his finger into the patient’s rectum, thus allowing the physician to feel the prostate through the rectal wall. The apparent presence of hard or lumpy areas in the prostate is a very strong indication of the presence of prostate cancer.
