How is prostate cancer diagnosed?
To diagnose prostate cancer, a biopsy may be needed.
When a doctor finds abnormal results during a digital rectal exam (DRE) or from
a prostate-specific antigen test (PSA) and suspects cancer, the patient will be
sent to have a
biopsy.
During a biopsy, samples of prostate tissue are taken through a small needle that
may be inserted into the rectum or through the perineum into the prostate. An ultrasound
probe inserted into the anus guides the needle. The procedure is uncomfortable but
is usually not very painful.
The biopsy is then examined by a
pathologist, or a doctor who specializes in diagnosing diseases based on
tissue samples.
Other tests your healthcare team may use.
Besides the PSA and DRE, your doctor may recommend further tests to help learn more
about an abnormality, or to stage and grade a cancer. Other tests may include:
- Radionuclide bone scan: In this test, the patient is injected with
a small amount of slightly radioactive material. This material settles into damaged
bone tissue throughout the body over a few hours. A special camera then detects
the radiation and creates an image of the skeleton
- Computed tomography (CT or CAT scan): The CT scan is a special
X-ray that makes detailed images of the body. Instead of taking a single picture,
a CT scan takes many pictures as it rotates around the body
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): MRI scans use radio waves and
strong magnets to create very detailed images of parts of the body
- ProstaScint™ scan: Using an injection of slightly radioactive
material, ProstaScint scans find cancer that has spread beyond the prostate
- Lymph node biopsy: In a lymph node biopsy, one or more lymph nodes
is removed. Sometimes called a lymph node dissection or a lymphadenectomy, this
procedure is performed to find out if a cancer has spread from the prostate to nearby
lymph nodes. There are different ways to biopsy
lymph nodes, including surgical, laparoscopic, and fine-needle aspiration
biopsies (FNA biopsies)
What happens after these tests?
Your next step depends upon what your doctors find with imaging, as well as what
they learned from the results of your lab tests.
Find out about the different
prostate cancer treatment options
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