Does A Colonoscopy Check Your Prostate

How Should I Prepare For The Exam

What it’s like to go for a rectal screening for prostate cancer

You should tell your doctor if you have hemorrhoids, anal tears, or other problems with your anus. The exam will be easier if you breathe normally and try to relax.

Before having a PSA test, tell your doctor about any medications and supplements you take. Recent ejaculation can also affect your PSA levels. Ask your doctor if you should abstain from sexual activity before the test.

Your blood must be sent to a laboratory for analysis, so your PSA results wont be available immediately. Your doctor will let you know when they have the results.

The lab report will show the level of PSA in your blood as:

In addition to looking at the amount of PSA in your blood, your doctor will assess how quickly this number is changing. Many things can affect PSA, so test results require careful analysis by an expert. Your doctor will take all of your health information into account.

If you have an abnormal PSA test result, it doesnt mean you have prostate cancer. Most men with a high PSA level dont have prostate cancer. About of men who have a biopsy due to a high PSA level have prostate cancer.

Its also possible for men with prostate cancer to have normal DRE and PSA test results.

What If I Am Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer

Many people have been where you are standing. Dont lose hope. More than 3.1 million American men have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and are alive today.

The first thing you should consider doing is to find out about the specifics of your cancer. You should know your stage and grade .

From there you can find out what treatment options you want to pursue, if any. Talk to your doctors. Choose a healthcare team of different specialists, or consult a second opinion. You can also do your own research, or talk to men who have been in your position. Many of our advocates are patients and survivors hear their stories at the video library. Or head to the rest of our website to start some research.

Determining who needs treatment for prostate cancer has evolved with new options to diagnose aggressive vs. indolent disease. Check out our infographic with more information on what genomic and advanced tests are available based on a mans individual cancer.

Learn

Colonoscopy Procedure To Detect Rectal Cancer

For this test, the doctor takes a look at the entire length of the colon and anus with a colonoscope, a thin, versatile, lighted tube with a small video camera on the end. Its generally a longer version of a sigmoidoscope. Its put in through the anus and into the rectum and colon. Unique instruments can be travelled through the colonoscope to biopsy or remove any suspicious-looking areas such as polyps, if needed.

Prior to the test: Be sure your doctor knows about any medicines you are taking. You may need to change how you take them prior to the test. The colon and rectum should be empty and clean so your doctor can see the lining of the entire colon and rectum during the test. This process of cleaning out the colon and anus is often unpleasant and can keep people from getting this essential screening test done. However, more recent kits are available to clear out the bowel and may be much better tolerated than previous ones. Your doctor can talk about the choices with you.

Your doctor will provide you specific instructions. Its crucial to read them thoroughly a couple of days ahead of time, given that you might have to follow an unique diet for at least a day prior to the test and to look for products and laxatives. If youre uncertain about any of the directions, call the doctors office and discuss them with the nurse.

Some people may have low high blood pressure or modifications in heart rhythm from the sedation during the test, but these are rarely serious.

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When Should I Call My Healthcare Provider

If youre 50 and you havent had your first prostate exam yet, call your healthcare provider to set up an appointment. If youre at higher risk, such as if you’re Black or prostate cancer runs in your family, you should have your first prostate exam by age 45.

Furthermore, if you develop symptoms of urinary tract obstruction, schedule a visit with your provider right away. This may indicate an enlarged prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia or a urinary tract infection.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Most people are understandably apprehensive about their first prostate exam. Learning all you can about the process can help abate any fears or uncertainties you have. Talk to your healthcare provider about your screening options. A prostate exam is the first step in the early detection of prostate cancer and early detection is key to successful treatment.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 04/04/2022.

References

Reasons To Get A Colonoscopy

Colon Cancer, Colon Health, Gastroenterology

Colon cancer is more serious and more common than you might think.

In fact, 5 to 6 percent of people will develop colon cancer in their lifetimes, according to Murtaza Kittu Parekh, MD, and Rig Patel, MD, of REX Digestive Healthcare. Its the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States after lung cancer, when counting cancers that affect both men and women.

But there is good news, Dr. Parekh says. Colonoscopy makes colorectal cancer one of the few cancers we can actually prevent.

A colonoscopy is an examination of the inside lining of the colon, which is where colon cancer starts. During a colonoscopy, a long, narrow, flexible tube with an HD camera at the end is used to evaluate the rectum and colon.

Colonoscopies can detect conditions like colitis, inflammatory bowel disease and diverticulosis. But mainly, doctors are looking for precancerous or cancerous colon polyps, which are growths on the inside of the colons lining. If the doctors spot polyps, they can quickly and painlessly remove them during the same colonoscopy.

Talk to your doctor about having a colonoscopy if you are any of the following:

Age 45 or older
Older than 40 with a family history of colon cancer or colon polyps
Youve noticed a change in your bowel movements or have bleeding or pain, regardless of your age

Theres no reason to avoid this painless, quick and potentially lifesaving procedure.

What Would You Say To Men Who Dont Want To Get A Prostate Check

A rectal exam is recommended but optional. We recommend both, but if theyll just let you do a blood test, thats better than not doing anything at all.

If concern about the rectal exam is the only reason youre not getting screened, talk to your doctor about it. We can discuss the risks and benefits. None of the evaluation tests are mandatory, but the reason we do that is that it improves our ability to detect cancer. So, if thats why youre not being evaluated, we can talk and decide if we can do other tests.

How Do Men Feel About The Rectal Exam

I think most men are willing to do it, but some men are exceptionally opposed to it. They might be happy to hear that there are studies ongoing in the United Kingdom looking at using magnetic resonance imaging as a screening tool to be able to avoid doing a digital rectal exam in the future. There is a large African immigrant population in London with a higher incidence of prostate cancerthey didnt want to have the prostate exam because they had a lot of opposition to it. They were uncomfortable with it.

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Possible Inaccurate Or Unclear Test Results

As an example, neither the PSA test nor the DRE is 100% accurate. These tests can sometimes have abnormal results even when a man does not have cancer , or normal results even when a man does have cancer . Unclear test results can cause confusion and anxiety. False-positive results can lead some men to get prostate biopsies when they dont have cancer. And false-negative results can give some men a false sense of security even though they might actually have cancer.

Do Patients Undergo Prostate Examination While Having A Colonoscopy

Should You Get A Colonoscopy: Colon Cancer Screening Guidelines

Lawrence C Hookey

1Queens University School of Medicine, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

2Gastrointestinal Diseases Research Unit, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

3Department of Urology, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Copyright

Copyright © 2009 Hindawi Publishing Corporation. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Can Prostate Cancer Be Found Early

Screening is testing to find cancer in people before they have symptoms. For some types of cancer, screening can help find cancers at an early stage, when they are likely to be easier to treat.

Prostate cancer can often be found early by testing for prostate-specific antigen levels in a mans blood. Another way to find prostate cancer is the digital rectal exam . For a DRE, the doctor puts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to feel the prostate gland. These tests and the actual process of screening are described in more detail in Screening Tests for Prostate Cancer.

If the results of either of these tests is abnormal, further testing is often done to see if a man has cancer.

What Is Screening For Prostate Cancer

Some men get a PSA test to screen for prostate cancer. Talk to your doctor, learn what is involved, and decide if a PSA test is right for you.

Cancer screeningexternal icon means looking for cancer before it causes symptoms. The goal of screening for prostate cancer is to find cancers that may be at high risk for spreading if not treated, and to find them early before they spread.

If you are thinking about being screened, learn about the possible benefits and harms of screening, diagnosis, and treatment, and talk to your doctor about your personal risk factors.

There is no standard test to screen for prostate cancer. Two tests that are commonly used to screen for prostate cancer are described below.

How To Check Your Prostate

This article was co-authored by Robert Dhir, MD. Dr. Robert Dhir is a board certified Urologist, Urological Surgeon, and the Founder of HTX Urology in Houston, Texas. With over 10 years of experience, Dr. Dhirs expertise includes minimally-invasive treatments for enlarged prostate , kidney stone disease, surgical management of urological cancers, and mens health . His practice has been named a Center of Excellence for the UroLift procedure, and is a pioneer in non-surgical procedures for ED using his patented Wave Therapy. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Georgetown University and was awarded honors in pre-medical studies, urology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology. Dr. Dhir served as chief resident during his urological surgical residency at University of Texas at Houston / MD Anderson Cancer Center in addition to completing his internship in general surgery. Dr. Dhir was voted Top Doctor in Urology for 2018 to 2019, one of the top three Best Rated Urologists in 2019 & 2020 for Houston Texas, and Texas Monthly has named him to the 2019 & 2020 Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars list.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 11 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,038,621 times.

What Kind Of Doctor Will I See For A Dre

Know Your Gastrointestinal Procedures And What They Are!

A primary care doctor or a gynecologist usually does a DRE. A gynecologist is a doctor who specializes in the health of womens reproductive system. Other types of doctors, including gastroenterologists, surgeons, and oncologists may do DREs. A gastroenterologist is a doctor who specializes in the gastrointestinal tract. An oncologist is a doctor who treats cancer.

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How Is The Test Performed

To perform a DRE, your doctor will gently insert a gloved, lubricated finger into your anus. This allows them to feel for any abnormalities. For example, an enlarged prostate feels like a bulge behind the rectum wall. Prostate cancer may feel like bumps on the normally smooth surface of the prostate.

Men may feel pain or the urge to urinate during the exam. This is because your doctor is applying firm pressure to the prostate.

A DRE is typically done as part of a routine physical examination for both men and women. During a gynecological exam, your doctor may perform a DRE to check the space between the rectum and the vagina for any abnormalities. Most men and women feel only minor discomfort during the procedure. People with hemorrhoids or anal fissures may experience a small amount of bleeding.

A DRE isnt suitable for detecting colon cancer. Only a small portion of the lower colon may be accessed during a DRE. However, a DRE may be used to obtain a stool sample. If blood is present in the stool, it may indicate colon cancer or other problems.

Blood isnt always visible to the naked eye in a stool sample, so your doctor may wish to conduct a fecal occult blood test to confirm.

What Do The Results Mean

PSA levels may be above the baseline for various reasons other than prostate cancer.

Other that can raise PSA levels include:

older age
an enlarged prostate â because of benign prostatic hyperplasia , for example
prostatitis, which is inflammation and swelling of the prostate

Also, people with obesity may have lower PSA readings.

In addition, some medications may reduce PSA levels, including:

5-alpha reductase inhibitors, which can help treat BPH
aspirin, which some people take regularly as a blood thinner
statins, which help manage cholesterol levels
thiazide diuretics, a kind of water pill that can help reduce high blood pressure

Some herbal medicines and supplements can also lower PSA levels. Tell the doctor about any medications and supplements before undergoing the test.

High PSA levels alone do not indicate cancer. However, if a DRE also reveals changes, a doctor may recommend a biopsy for a more accurate result.

The PCA3 is another test for prostate cancer that doctors use in some circumstances. Find out more.

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What Is Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells in the colon or rectum divide uncontrollably, ultimately forming a malignant tumor.

Parts of the colon. Drawing of the front of the abdomen that shows the four sections of the colon: the ascending colon, the transverse colon, the descending colon, and the sigmoid colon. Also shown are the small intestine, the cecum, and the rectum. The cecum, colon, rectum, and anal canal make up the large intestine. The cecum, ascending colon, and transverse colon make up the upper, or proximal, colon the descending colon and sigmoid colon make up the lower, or distal, colon.

Most colorectal cancers begin as a growth, or lesion, in the tissue that lines the inner surface of the colon or rectum. Lesions may appear as raised polyps, or, less commonly, they may appear flat or slightly indented. Raised polyps may be attached to the inner surface of the colon or rectum with a stalk , or they may grow along the surface without a stalk .

Colorectal polyps are common in people older than 50 years of age, and most do not become cancer. However, a certain type of polyp known as an adenoma is more likely to become a cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of non-skin cancer in both men and women . It is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States after lung cancer. In 2021, an estimated 149,500 people in the United States will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 52,980 people will die from it .

What If My Test Results Are Abnormal

My Colonoscopy | Auburn Medical Group

If the results of early detection tests like the PSA screening or the digital rectal exam suggest that you might have prostate cancer, your doctor will conduct further testing. The PSA may be repeated, or you may be sent to a specialist for more tests such as a transrectal ultrasound and a prostate biopsy.

In a prostate biopsy, a tissue sample is taken from your prostate. Cancer can only be diagnosed with a tissue sample.

Recent research has yielded additional tests that in addition to the PSA and subsequent DRE and Biopsy that can give a doctor more information on to determine the probability of both finding cancer during a biopsy and determining how aggressive that cancer is likely to be. Read more on those tests.

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Youre Not Necessarily Too Young For A Colonoscopy

Guidelines call for colorectal cancer screening starting at age 45 if youre at average risk. If youre at increased risk, based on family history of colon cancer or other factors, youll want to start earlier, typically at age 40. No matter your age, if you have blood in your stool, weakness and fatigue, or a major change in your bowel habits, talk to your doctor. Recent research from the American Cancer Society found a sharp rise in colorectal cancer rates among adults in their 20s and 30s in fact, a person born in 1990 has double the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer compared with people born in 1950.