Three methods for early diagnosis of prostate cancer

Early detection and early treatment are the key to curing prostate cancer. Here are three diagnostic methods for early detection of prostate cancer.

Digital rectal examination

The prostate gland is close to the front of the rectum, so the size and texture of the prostate gland can be felt through rectal examination. The normal prostate gland is about 4cm×3cm in size, soft in texture, smooth on the surface without nodules, and symmetrical on both sides. If you have prostate hyperplasia, you can find that the prostate gland will be enlarged through rectal examination, but the texture will not be very hard. If you have prostate cancer, you can feel the protruding tumor nodules on the surface of the prostate gland through digital examination. If the tumor is large, the texture of the entire prostate gland will become very hard, like a stone.

Transrectal ultrasonography

Through transrectal ultrasound examination, it is possible to find out whether there are nodules in the patient's prostate. When nodules appear in the prostate, but the nodules are small or they grow inside the gland, they are often not palpable through rectal examination. Transrectal ultrasound examination can help detect prostate cancer early. Moreover, transrectal ultrasound examination can also determine the size of the patient's tumor and whether the tumor has invaded the prostate capsule, which is very helpful for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Serum prostate-specific antigen measurement

Prostate-specific antigen is currently the most sensitive marker for prostate cancer. Prostate-specific antigen can also be detected in the blood of normal people. When the serum prostate-specific antigen rises to a certain value, it indicates that cancer cells may exist in the patient's prostate. Prostate-specific antigen testing can detect prostate cancer that has not been detected by rectal digital examination.