Monday 18th January 2021 GatewayC have produced a list of cancer charity support lines for people who may be worried about their cancer diagnosis, or are concerned about how COVID-19 might affect their cancer treatment. Please download this PDF resource or find the...
DRE and Prostate Cancer
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Friday 27th March 2020
A digital rectal examination (DRE) is a useful screening tool, which can be used in conjunction with a PSA test, to help determine if a patient should be referred on a prostate cancer pathway. Prostate cancers may not necessarily secrete PSA; and so a PSA alone may be falsely reassuring. Thus, a DRE can form an important part of the prostate cancer investigation process.
The examination:
All practitioners should be able to perform a DRE, as the prostate is positioned close to the anal vert, therefore the length of fingers do not restrict the examination. During a DRE, practitioners should assess the prostate to see if it is significantly:
• | Jagged |
• | Hard |
• | Irregular, as opposed to smooth. |
Find out more:
Access GatewayC’s course ‘Prostate Cancer – Responding to a PSA Screening Request’ and collect up to 2 hours of CPD here.
Access this BMJ learning module here