Hundreds of men, especially those above the age of 50 are known to suffer from prostate cancer the world over. Regular examination for the disease is always recommended for men of this age by physicians. There are various methods of treatment for prostate cancer based on the stage of the disease. Visiting online sources is a good way to learn about the various methods of treatment that are available. You can also go through online sources to learn more about the diagnosis of prostate cancer. The disease is also diagnosed in different ways based on the stage of prostate cancer. One such way is the digital rectal examination. Since the prostate is located near the rectum, lying close to the anal opening, it is examined through the anal opening in the case of a digital rectal examination.
The entire procedure takes a few minutes with a patient either lying on his side or while standing up. In most of the cases the prostate has a smooth and elastic surface. Whenever some roughness is found then abnormal enlargement of prostate is detected. It is found during a digital rectal examination that only about half of the lumps are cancerous while many others can turn out to be stones or some other type of inflammations. A good physician though would carry out more tests when they find such lumps in the prostate during a digital rectal examination.
One major disadvantage that a digital rectal examination has is that sometimes health care professionals can underestimate the size or volume of the tumor. In such cases sometimes a doctor would recommend other tests such as transrectal ultrasound to be performed to investigate the actual condition of the prostate in a further detailed manner.
Using the technique of transrectal ultrasound, doctors are able to measure the size of the prostate by sound. The probe is actually inserted into the rectum. It then emits ultrasound waves. These waves enable the entire prostate surface to be mapped and if any enlargements or abnormalities are there, they can be easily detected using this method.


Many doctors also take a biopsy during the time of such tests. This is done by inserting a needle through the probe and then scrapping cells from the different areas of the prostate. In most cases six samples are taken and then examined. Even though the entire process is simple enough, the patient needs to prepare for the process beforehand. For one the patient needs to take antibiotics in order to prevent any bacterial infections. This apart they are also supposed to take an enema in order to flush out the rectum.

One advantage with transrectal ultrasound lies in the fact that it can often identify cancer that has not been felt by a digital rectal examination. One can find extensive information on digital rectal examination by visiting online sources. You can find numerous online sources which are dedicated to knowledge of prostate cancer. You can also go through extensive online sources that are available which will give you a fair idea about the various methods of treatment that are available for prostate cancer.