The tissue samples are then turned over to a pathologist , a doctor who specializes in the study of the microscopic cell and tissue changes produced by disease. When a biopsy is prompted by an elevated PSA, rather than an abnormal area in the prostate gland detected by a rectal exam, the urologist may take random samples from six or more prostate areas. Most men who have biopsies following routine exams do not have cancer. You may want to talk with your physician about the biopsy results. If there is any doubt about the diagnosis, you can get a second opinion from another pathologist.
Biopsies can miss cancer, too, about one time out of five.
If your doctor strongly suspects cancer on clinical grounds, but the biopsy was negative, he or she may recommend a second biopsy. If a Biopsy Is Positive A diagnosis of prostate cancer obviously presents a man with complex decisions. He needs to understand the ramifications of the various options available to him. There are several levels, or stages , of prostate cancer, all of which call for different approaches to treatment. Moreover, for some stages of prostate cancer, there are several types of treatment, and it is not always clear which one is best.