Sunday, March 24, 2024
HomeExclusiveDre Test For Prostate Cancer

Dre Test For Prostate Cancer

The Detection And Diagnostic Value Of Mpmri

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

The DRE, especially in conjunction with PSA testing, has had its place in the detection of PCa. Despite its inadequacy due to the limited anatomy it could access, it did detect some cancersthough rarelyin men whose PSA was considered normal. It is to be expected that there are still hangers-on who maintain the value of a DRE, but urologist Bert Vorstman, MD pulls no punches about tossing it out:

Performing this feeble test every few months during so-called surveillance makes no scientific sense can be very uncomfortable is especially unreliable for detecting the potentially deadly 15% or so of high-grade cancers early and, the examination is often abused by dishonest urologists to push patients towards more profitable evaluations because of feeling something sensing a nodule or, feeling unevenness .

Dr. Vorstman may be happy that the DRE Is increasingly being eclipsed by advanced imaging. A growing body of published research makes a forceful case to keep the PSA, but follow a suspicious result with multiparametric MRI of the prostate. There is no comparison between DREs low accuracy vs. the high definition tissue characteristics revealed by mpMRI. Its clear to me that, thanks to our ability to capture a portrait of prostate tumors anywhere in the gland, the DRE has all but lost its relevance.

What Tests Are Needed To Confirm Your Cancer

After age 45, testing for prostate cancer should be part of a routine annual examination by your primary care doctor. If you are African-American or have family members diagnosed with prostate cancer, begin testing at age 40, as you have an increased risk for prostate cancer. To learn about other factors that can increase your chances of prostate cancer, check out our page on Prostate Cancer Risk Factors.

The standard screen test or early detection tests for prostate cancer are the Digital Rectal Exam, DRE, combined with the PSA Test. The DRE is physical test performed by your physician, while the PSA test requires a blood draw. PSA is a protein created by prostate and found in the blood. To learn more about PSA, check out our page on Prostate Specific Antigen – PSA. Abnormal results in either the DRE or PSA test will typically require additional testing.

After age 45, testing for prostate cancer should be part of a routine annual examination by your primary care doctor. If you are African-American or have family members diagnosed with prostate cancer, begin testing at age 40, as you have an increased risk for prostate cancer. To learn about other factors that can increase your chances of prostate cancer, check out our page on Prostate Cancer Risk Factors.

What Happens During A Digital Rectal Exam

Your health care provider will insert a gloved finger into the rectum and feel the prostate for hard, lumpy, or abnormal areas. The test takes only a few minutes to complete.

You may feel slight, momentary discomfort during the test. The procedure does not cause significant pain or any damage to the prostate.

You May Like: Stage 2 Prostate Cancer Symptoms

Concerns About Prostate Cancer Screening

If prostate cancer is found as a result of screening, it will probably be at an earlier, more treatable stage than if no screening were done. While this might make it seem like prostate cancer screening would always be a good thing, there are still issues surrounding screening that make it unclear if the benefits outweigh the risks for most men.

Predictive Value Of Dre As A Function Of Psa Range

The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Recommendations for Prostate ...

Among the 8367 men who were in fact screened by all three tests, data for those who had a positive DRE and were screened by biopsy examination are shown in . Those men who also had an elevated PSA level or a suspicious TRUS result are included. Overall, 970 biopsies were used to diagnose 264 cancers with a positive predictive value of 27% 82 cancers would have remained undetected by PSA-based screening alone. We assumed that all participants who had an abnormal DRE and were found to have cancer would have been diagnosed with an abnormal DRE alone. This assumption seems justified because the same biopsy procedure was used for all participants with an elevated PSA, an abnormal TRUS, or an abnormal DRE.

With PSA values of 0-3.9 ng/mL, the positive predictive values range from 4% to 33%, with an average of 12.8%. Thus, 7.8 biopsies must be done to find one cancer. With PSA values of 0-2.9 ng/mL, the positive predictive values range from 4% to 11%, with an average of 8.8%. The situation changes drastically in those men whose PSA values are greater than or equal to 3.0 ng/mL. The positive predictive value increases to 49.6%, and two biopsies must be done to find one cancer. Detection rates, however, are dramatically lower with DRE alone and strongly depend on PSA levels. Thus, the performance of DRE is strongly dependent on PSA levels and is poorest when the PSA level is less than 3.0 ng/mL, an area that is considered the domain of the DRE.

Fig. 2.

Recommended Reading: When To Stop Active Surveillance For Prostate Cancer

Who Should Get A Psa Test

Not everyone should get a PSA test. Why? Because many in this country are treated for low-risk prostate cancer that is discovered through the PSA test, even when it is unlikely that the disease will ever cause symptoms or lead to death. And treatment is associated with significant side effects, including impotence and incontinence . You should discuss whether prostate cancer early detection is right for you with your personal primary care physician.

To avoid the risks of over-treatment, Roswell Park follows the guidelines established by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network . The NCCN brings together world-renowned experts from 30 of the nations top cancer centers to write guidelines that specify the best ways of preventing, detecting and treating cancer. The guidelines are updated at least every year, on the basis of the latest research.

Michael Kuettel, MD, PhD, MBA, Chair of Roswell Park’s Department of Radiation Medicine, serves on the NCCN Prostate Cancer Panel.

If you decide that Prostate Cancer Early Detection is right for you, the NCCN recommends PSA testing as follows:

The Importance Of A Dre In Diagnosing Prostate Cancer

A DRE is advised when gastro-intestinal problems exist, such as abdominal or rectal pain, blood in the stool, haemorrhoids, perianal fistulas, etc., but also in men aged over 50 without any urinary symptoms or a little earlier with a family history of prostate cancer.

It is the first exam performed in diagnosing and screening this type of cancer, among other pathologies affecting the prostate, such as benign prostate hyperplasia .

The aim is to identify the presence of cancer at a very early stage when the treatment is more effective and potentially curative.

But performing the exam depends always and foremost on the patients will and motivation. It should be remembered that the success rate of any therapy depends on early and timely detection of the disease.

A DRE is so important that even after surgery or another treatment associated with prostate cancer, it is an essential exam for checking normality and the success of the therapy.

You May Like: Enlarged Prostate Erectile Dysfunction Symptoms

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.

Data Sources And Searches

Testing for Prostate Cancer – PSA & DRE – Dr. Heath

An experienced health sciences research librarian developed and conducted the search strategy. A combination of key words and subject headings was used to encompass 3 concepts: prostate cancer, digital rectal examination, and biopsy. The following databases were searched from inception to June 18, 2016: MEDLINE, Embase, DARE , Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and CINAHL . All databases, with the exception of CINAHL, were searched through Ovid. No geographic or date restrictions were applied. Non-English studies were excluded.

Don’t Miss: Immunotherapy For Prostate Cancer 2020

Prostate Exam Vs Colonoscopy: Whats The Difference

At first glance, it might seem that a prostate exam is similar to a colonoscopy. After all, both exams involve your rectal area. However, these two tests are quite different.

While a prostate exam involves feeling the prostate with a gloved finger, a colonoscopy examines the walls of your colon by inserting a flexible camera into your rectum. The prostate is not examined at all during this procedure unless your healthcare provider manually performs an exam.

A prostate exam is a fairly quick procedure performed in an office setting. A colonoscopy, on the other hand, is an outpatient procedure in the hospital that requires IV sedation.

Tests Used To Check The Prostate

This first step lets your doctor hear and understand the “story” of your prostate concerns. You’ll be asked whether you have symptoms, how long you’ve had them, and how much they affect your lifestyle. Your personal medical history also includes any risk factors, pain, fever, or trouble passing urine. You may be asked to give a urine sample for testing.

Also Check: Can An Enlarged Prostate Cause Erectile Dysfunction

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 screening 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.

Implications For Research And Practice

Randomised prostate cancer screening trial: 20 year follow

DRE is an inexpensive examination and is easy to perform in a clinical setting. This study has demonstrated that a substantial number of patients ultimately diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer would not have been referred to the RAPC based on their PSA levels alone. DRE adds to the sensitivity and specificity of the PSA and is an integral part of the assessment for the early detection of prostate cancer. The detection of prostate cancer on the basis of DRE alone, coupled with the high concordance of DRE findings between GPs and urologists, supports our message that GPs should always perform DREs as part of their assessment for the early detection of prostate cancer.

Recommended Reading: Can Prostate Cancer Return If Prostate Is Removed

Getting The Results Of The Biopsy

Your biopsy samples will be sent to a lab, where they will be looked at with a microscope to see if they contain cancer cells. Getting the results usually takes at least 1 to 3 days, but it can sometimes take longer. The results might be reported as:

  • Positive for cancer: Cancer cells were seen in the biopsy samples.
  • Negative for cancer: No cancer cells were seen in the biopsy samples.
  • Suspicious: Something abnormal was seen, but it might not be cancer.

If the biopsy is negative

If the prostate biopsy results are negative , and the chance that you have prostate cancer isnt very high based on your PSA level and other tests, you might not need any more tests, other than repeat PSA tests sometime later.

But even if many samples are taken, biopsies can still sometimes miss a cancer if none of the biopsy needles pass through it. This is known as a false-negative result. If your doctor still strongly suspects you have prostate cancer , your doctor might suggest:

  • Getting other lab tests to help get a better idea of whether or not you might have prostate cancer. Examples of such tests include the Prostate Health Index , 4Kscore test, PCA3 tests , and ConfirmMDx. These tests are discussed in Whats New in Prostate Cancer Research?
  • Getting a repeat prostate biopsy. This might include getting additional samples of parts of the prostate not biopsied the first time, or using imaging tests such as MRI to look more closely for abnormal areas to target.

Prostate cancer grade

Gleason score

Special Types Of Psa Tests

The PSA level from a screening test is sometimes referred to as total PSA, because it includes the different forms of PSA . If you decide to get a PSA screening test and the result isnt normal, some doctors might consider using different types of PSA tests to help decide if you need a prostate biopsy, although not all doctors agree on how to use these tests. If your PSA test result isnt normal, ask your doctor to discuss your cancer risk and your need for further tests.

Percent-free PSA: PSA occurs in 2 major forms in the blood. One form is attached to blood proteins, while the other circulates free . The percent-free PSA is the ratio of how much PSA circulates free compared to the total PSA level. The percentage of free PSA is lower in men who have prostate cancer than in men who do not.

If your PSA test result is in the borderline range , the percent-free PSA might be used to help decide if you should have a prostate biopsy. A lower percent-free PSA means that your chance of having prostate cancer is higher and you should probably have a biopsy.

Many doctors recommend a prostate biopsy for men whose percent-free PSA is 10% or less, and advise that men consider a biopsy if it is between 10% and 25%. Using these cutoffs detects most cancers and helps some men avoid unnecessary biopsies. This test is widely used, but not all doctors agree that 25% is the best cutoff point to decide on a biopsy, and the cutoff may change depending on the overall PSA level.

Don’t Miss: Prostate Cancer What Causes It

Predictive Value Of Dre

Our data indicate that the DRE has a low positive predictive value in men with low PSA levels. This result is due to the low prevalence of the disease and the low sensitivity of the screening procedure. When PSA levels are less than 3.0 ng/mL, 11 biopsies are necessary to detect one cancer. If it were certain that those cancers detected in this PSA range pose a significant threat to the patient’s life, this burden might be acceptable . Selective screening for potentially aggressive lesions is important. Many prostate cancers detected in men with PSA levels of less than 4.0 ng/ mL do not show the characteristics of aggressive disease by volume and grade of differentiation. A large proportion of the tumors detected may not be immediately clinically relevant and would probably be detected through subsequent screening, as suggested by Carter et al. . Since a PSA level of less than 4.0 ng/mL does not indicate the need for a biopsy, for PSA levels less than 4.0 ng/mL in this study, one might expect that cancers found by DRE and/or TRUS are larger, clearly palpable, and visible tumors that do not produce much PSA, a feature often associated with poor differentiation. The contrary, however, is the case.

Who Should Get A Digital Rectal Exam

Prostate Cancer Treatment

Not all medical institutions agree on when men should begin screening for prostate cancer or even if a DRE should be part of the screening.

To help detect prostate cancer in its early stages, the American Cancer Society recommends that men talk to their doctors about the benefits, risks, and limitations of prostate cancer screening before deciding whether to be tested.

For most men at average risk, discussions about screening begin at age 50. However, some doctors recommend that men at higher risk of prostate cancer — African-American men or men with a family history of prostate cancer — start screening earlier.

Recommended Reading: Can Celibacy Cause Prostate Cancer

How Do I Get Tested

A general practitioner or an urologist can perform a full prostate cancer exam. This should include a PSA blood test and a digital rectal exam .

A Prostate-Specific Antigen blood test measures the level of PSA in the blood. PSA is a substance made by the prostate. The levels of PSA in the blood can be higher in men who have prostate cancer. The PSA level may also be elevated in other conditions.

A Digital Rectal Exam is a physical exam that is done when a doctor or nurse inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to estimate the size of the prostate and feel for lumps or other abnormalities.

Talk to your general doctor or urologist about receiving a prostate exam. If you do not have a doctor, do not have insurance, or cannot afford a test, find out what free screenings are available in your area on our Free Testing Map. If you do not see a free screening in your area, check back in the fall. Many screenings occur in September, during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Recent research has yielded additional tests that in addition to the PSA test and 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. Learn more here.

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular