Once prostate cancer has been diagnosed, various tests may be performed in order to tell whether the cancer has spread outside the prostate.
Several tests are useful both in detecting and staging prostate cancer.
Not all of these tests are needed in all men. The digital rectal examination , a simple procedure, can help the doctor detect the cancer and judge whether the cancer is confined to the prostate or whether it may have spread to the tissues around the prostate. The prostate is an internal organ so the physician cannot look at it directly. Because it lies in front of the rectum, however, the doctor can feel the prostate by inserting a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum. The PSA test is sometimes difficult to interpret, however, because PSA is produced by both normal and malignant prostate cells.