Added: 08/14/2007 |
The Path to a Digital Rectal ExaminationMen do not like to get a digital rectal exam. Men do like to believe that they have the ability to put up with great pain. Sometimes a man with a painful tumor chooses to ignore the pain caused by that tumor. Such a man might well hide from his physician the fact that he is experiencing pain. A skillful physician can encourage a male patient to share with his doctor all manner of pain, even pain that the patient considers as "insignificant". Any type of pain can be a sign of unwanted cell growth.
Some of the cells in the man’s prostate gland start to divide. Cell division takes place daily in the deep layer of the skin, and in the hair follicles on the scalp. Daily cell division is not needed in the prostate gland of the adult male. The body is not equipped to handle extensive, unrestrained cell growth.
If a prostate gland has extensive, unrestrained cell growth, then that prostate gland develops a prostate tumor. In some cases, those tumor cells produce a measurable amount of PSA. Evidence of the tumor then shows up in a PSA test. At other times, a malignant tumor fails to produce a noticeable amount of PSA.
When a PSA test does not indicate the presence of a prostate tumor, a physician sometimes suspects the delivery of false negative results. A physician would definitely have that suspicion if the tested patient had complained about pain in his groin. Such a patient should probably be given a rectal exam.
The digital rectal examination supplements the information from the PSA test. If the rectal exam reveals the presence of a prostate tumor, then the physician and patient must get together. They must discuss the available treatments for prostate cancer.
Sometimes a man’s willingness to have a PSA test can tip off a physician to the need for a rectal exam. At other times, the results of a PSA test might fail to disclose the unrestrained growth in the prostate gland. In that case, a physician would need to pay attention to all of a male patient’s comments. Any one of those comments might indicate the presence of a cancerous tumor.
The digital rectal examination gives the physician a sure way to identify any prostate tumor. It can be a large or small tumor. If it is a small tumor, then the patient and doctor do not need to use a more invasive treatment, such as surgery. If it is a small tumor, then the patient might want to use radiotherapy.
If the patient has a large prostate tumor, then the digital rectal examination (DRE) can guide the performance of a prostate biopsy. The DRE tells the doctor from what part of the prostate gland the biopsy tissue must be obtained.
The biopsy tissue is sent to the pathologist. The pathologist checks on the stage of each removed cell. That pathological examination lets the physician know how rapidly the cells in the prostate tumor are dividing.
The biopsy provides the physician and patient with important information. It guides them as they together select the cancer treatment that best suits the patient’s needs. It allows them to make an informed choice, when choosing surgery or chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
An early diagnosis leads to an early initiation of treatment. That then increases chances for a successful end to the chosen treatment schedule.
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