It is necessary for patients with prostate cancer to undergo ultrasound examination

PSA, anal examination and transrectal prostate ultrasound are currently internationally recognized as the best methods for early detection of prostate cancer. Therefore, many prostate cancer patients may be confused about the ultrasound examination order issued by the doctor. Why do prostate cancer patients need to undergo transrectal prostate ultrasound examination?

Unlike ordinary B-ultrasound that passes through the abdominal wall, transrectal prostate ultrasound is to slowly insert a thin and long ultrasound probe from the anus into the patient's rectum, and put its tip close to the surface of the prostate for measurement. This examination is more accurate than ordinary B-ultrasound and can obtain clearer prostate ultrasound images.

So, what is the difference between transrectal prostate ultrasound and anal examination? Although anal examination is simpler and cheaper, it has higher requirements for the operating physician. In addition, since the fingers can only touch the back surface of the prostate, if the tumor is small or located more forward, it cannot be detected through anal examination. Transrectal prostate ultrasound can make up for this deficiency of anal examination. In addition, transrectal prostate ultrasound is also widely used to guide systematic puncture biopsy of the prostate.

Although transrectal prostate ultrasound has the above advantages, its specificity is low, which may cause a certain number of "false" positives, that is, there will be a certain number of "false positives". It is precisely because of this shortcoming that doctors usually use the above-mentioned examination methods, combined with various factors such as the patient's symptoms, to comprehensively evaluate whether the patient needs to undergo further relatively complex, expensive but more accurate examinations.