More Information On Prostate Cancer Testing And Diagnosis
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. Since this particular tissue grows only in men, this cancer is specific to men alone. More often, prostate cancer is not one of the scary classes of cancer. They can be detected through symptoms and cured in simple ways.
But any cancer becomes dangerous when it is left untended to. So it is important to detect this illness at an early stage. This is true for prostate cancer as well. Here are a set of symptoms and prostate cancer testing you need to be aware of.
Symptoms Of Prostate Cancer
There are many symptoms of prostate cancer. The most common one is trouble urinating or seeing blood in your urine. Since these two are the most common symptoms, these are what a man should look out for. But apart from these, there are also other symptoms you must be aware of.
Blood in semen is another symptom. This should not be ignored as your partners or other such reasons. You will be able to differentiate the origin of the blood. Another issue you might face is erectile dysfunction. This topic is not spoken about as people are embarrassed to say the truth. But if you are facing erectile problems, it is better to get a prostate screening done.
Prostate Cancer Screening Is The First Step
Screening tests are normally not done for those men who are not facing any symptoms. But this topic is largely discussed. According to the medical health organization, a man in his 50s should take necessary steps and talk to their doctor about prostate cancer screening. It may not necessarily mean danger, but it is better to get it checked and over with.
There are two ways of a screening test. One is DRE. In this method, a gloved and lubricated finger into your rectum. Since the prostate is located beside the rectum, it is easier to examine from there. Another method is PSA testing in your bloodstream. If either of the results shows abnormalities, then proper diagnostic tests are done, followed by treatment.
Diagnostic Methods For Prostate Cancer
After prostate cancer testing, the next is diagnosing the area of prostate cancer and its severity. This is done by one of the three methods:
- Using Ultrasound Image
Ultrasound scanning is done for your prostate. Here, a small tube is inserted into your rectum. The size of the tube is as small as a cigar tube. Once the tube is inserted, it screens the prostate and reproduces an image of the same. This image is used for further diagnosis of prostate cancer.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
This method is only applied when a more detailed picture is needed of the prostate and the extra growth. Usually, it is recommended after an ultrasound is done if the results are not satisfactory. Once the MRI scanning is done, it produces a more detailed image of everything happening in and around your prostate. It also produces multiple images over a period to show how the cancer is working.
- Prostate Tissue Collected As Sample
In a PSA screening test, a blood sample is collected to test the amount of PSA in your blood. Similarly, for a good diagnosis of prostate cancer, prostate tissue samples are collected and studied. This gives a detailed overview of the type of prostate cancer you have and the aggression with which it is growing.
Once you obtain the results of these tests, the doctor will brief you on your condition. Usually, if you do not have cancer and are only taking the test for confirmation, you need not be scared. The procedure stops with either of the screening tests alone.
