PURPOSE: Digital rectal examination is widely performed for following @entity1 with @entity263 after definitive therapy. This examination has marginal efficacy for detecting @entity263 and postoperative recurrence. To determine the efficacy of digital rectal examination in terms of new information provided after radiotherapy we analyzed the results of digital rectal examination in the followup of @entity1 with @entity263 after radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a nonrandomized study in 235 consecutive @entity1 with @entity263 followed at a large tertiary care military hospital between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 1999. All @entity1 had been treated with prostate radiotherapy and had no evidence of metastatic disease at the first visit within that interval. Digital rectal examination was done at followup and the main outcome measure was new information provided by that examination. RESULTS: A total of 1,544 digital rectal examinations were performed in 1,627 visits. New information was provided by digital rectal examination in only 30% of 286 abnormal examinations, of which more than three-quarters were related to @entity548 and would otherwise have been noted on routine examination by the primary care provider. All 8 persistent recurrent prostate nodules were noted in the context of increasing @entity1486 . CONCLUSIONS: Routine digital rectal examination in @entity1 with @entity263 after radiotherapy may be omitted from followup protocols.

Efficacy of digital rectal examination after radiotherapy for XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity1486 :: ('354', 'Gene') :: ['prostate specific antigen'] @entity263 :: ('MESH:D011471', 'Disease') :: ['localized prostate cancer', 'prostate cancer', 'initial prostate cancer'] @entity548 :: ('MESH:D006470', 'Disease') :: ['bleeding']
@entity263 :: (MESH:D011471,Disease) :: ['prostate cancer']
