Are You Frightened By The Thought Of A Prostate Biopsy?

If you are a man you will almost certainly suffer from one prostate problem or another at some stage in your life. If you are under 50 years of age {this|then this} is likely to be a case of prostatitis (inflammation or infection) and, if you are over 50 years of age then it is also quite likely to be an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH). Also, a fairly large number of older men will also experience prostate cancer.

The main difficulty with all of these prostate conditions is that they often show the same symptoms and you can, for example, be having difficulties passing water as a result of both inflammation of the prostate and an enlarged prostate. In a lot of cases these difficulties will not be accompanied by any symptoms at all at first and the danger danger here is that you may be developing prostate cancer without even being aware of it.

So, if you are suffering from any sort of prostate symptoms, you would be wise to talk to your doctor. Also, if you are older than 50 you ought to request your doctor for regular checks for prostate problems, even if you are not presently experiencing any prostate symptoms.

The two most often used tests for prostate problems are the digital rectal examination, which is a physical examination of the prostate gland carried out by your doctor to look for signs of any abnormalities, and the prostate specific antigen, or PSA, blood test that checks for a protein in the blood that is a marker for prostate cancer. However, when all is said and done, the only sure way to test for prostate cancer is to have a prostate biopsy exam.

The commonest form of prostate biopsy makes use of a transrectal ultrasound probe that guides the doctor to the prostate gland and then makes use of a hollow needle to collect a number of samples of tissue from different parts of the prostate gland for examination under the microscope. Another frequently used form of biopsy is the insertion of a biopsy needle through the skin between the anus and scrotum and into the prostate gland to once again take the necessary samples. In either case the samples will indicate the presence and degree of spread of any cancer, as well as just how aggressive the cancer is.

A prostate biopsy examination is not a particularly pleasant procedure producing a brief and uncomfortable sensation as each sample is taken, but it is luckily fairly short (taking roughly 15 minutes) and is often done in the doctor's office using a local anesthetic. Following your biopsy you are likely to be sore and will also be conscious of a small amount of blood in your urine and possibly some light bleeding from the rectum. Finally, it is common to experience small quantities of blood in your semen and this could be experienced for some weeks.