Important Testing Procedures For Prostate Cancer That You Should Know About

 By Tim Gorman  |   Submitted On October 09, 2006

When you mention prostate cancer, many men start to panic. The reality is, though, that prostate cancer is very similar to other cancers, in that the earlier you find it, the better your chance of successful treatment. Once cancer has developed too far, however, it becomes extremely difficult if not impossible to treat. The risk of developing prostate cancer rises dramatically over the age of fifty, so men in this age group must be checked periodically for prostate cancer. While screening for prostate cancer is not a routine procedure, the required tests are available upon request. Regular testing is very important for several reasons. Firstly, once you pass the age of fifty, you're at a much higher risk of developing prostate cancer. It's generally believed this risk continues to rise as you get older. Above the age of seventy-five the risk rate skyrockets. Around fifty percent of the cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in this age bracket. It's also believed that genetics play a part in how much at risk you are. If you have a family member with the disease, it's important to realize your chances of getting it are much higher. So regular checks will help you detect it earlier. Certain racial groups are also more prone to prostate cancer. Asians are generally considered low risk, whereas Americans, African-Americans, and Europeans are at higher risk. Be aware, though, that Asians who've lived in the US for an extended period start to show higher rates of prostate cancer that are more in tune with the risk level of Americans.

Prostate Cancer Tests

There are several different tests used to detect prostate cancer, and your doctor will usually use more than one before giving you a conclusive diagnosis. Detection is most effective when several tests are performed. Firstly, everybody's favorite - the rectal examination. The subject of countless jokes, this involves a doctor inserting a gloved finger into the patient's anal tract so that he can manually feel the prostate gland. This is a good way of detecting an enlarged prostate, but cancer is not the only cause of an enlarged prostate. Still, this is a quick and simple way of detecting one of the possible symptoms of prostate cancer. An ultrasound can also be performed, which involves (here we go again!) inserting a small probe into the patient's anal tract. An ultrasound scan of the prostate is then conducted. The scan accurately reveals the current size and shape of the prostate.

If all this talk about the anal tract is bothering you, then the next test will sound much better - the PSA blood test. In medical terms, this is called the prostate-specific antigen blood test and is one of the most common tests used in the detection of prostate cancer. The levels of this particular antigen are checked, and if they're on the high side, this can be an indicator that prostate cancer is present. Again, this has to be verified with another testing as well, as some other conditions can cause a rise in PSA levels.

If there are concerns, a biopsy may be undertaken. During this procedure, a small sample is taken from the prostate for further analysis. To do this, a small probe (don't you hate that word?) is inserted into the anal tract, and the prostate is poked with a needle to obtain a sample. It's also possible, once the cancer is suspected, that an x-ray will be taken of the bones located near the prostate. Quite often prostate cancer doesn't just affect the prostate but spreads into the lymph nodes and nearby bones. An x-ray will show any damage that's been done to nearby bones.

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