The prostate, a male sex gland involved in the production of semen, is located between the bladder and the rectum. The prostate gland is the size of a walnut and surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder. Both the number of new cases of prostate cancer and the number of deaths due to prostate cancer have increased in the past decade. Anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor. The chance of developing prostate cancer increases as men get older.
Black males are also more likely to die of prostate cancer than white males.
For this examination, the doctor inserts a gloved finger into the rectum and feels the prostate gland through the rectal wall to check for bumps or abnormal areas. Although this test has been used for many years, whether DRE is effective in decreasing the number of deaths from prostate cancer has not been determined. During this examination, high-frequency sound waves are sent out by a probe about the size of the index finger, which is inserted into the rectum. The waves bounce off the prostate gland and produce echoes that a computer uses to create a picture called a sonogram. Doctors examine the sonogram for echoes that might represent abnormal areas.