Detecting prostate cancer, like all cancers, depends upon a combination of examination by a physician and laboratory testing. The gold standard has always been the digital-rectal examination. In this test, the physician inserts a finger into the rectum and feels the prostate for any lumps. It s amazing how accurate this is, considering that you really can t get your fingers all the way around the prostate gland. Many men hate this exam, and consequently don t have it often enough.
Physicians often forget to do it as part of the routine physical.
If you are a man over 50, ask your physician to examine your prostate gland as part of your routine visit. Many doctors feel this should be done every year. Similarity to Breast Cancer With breast cancer, we encourage women to examine their own breasts, not as a substitute for a doctor doing this exam, but as an interim measure. If a woman feels a breast lump between her regular examinations, then she at least has given her doctor a leg up in treating her disease. The prostate also can be examined by the patient or his partner at six- month intervals in between the regular yearly exam.