how accurate is a DRE

User

Posted 27 Mar 2015 at 21:25

hi all

am a 60year old male, after my health check was informed that my PSA test was 20 my GP performed a DRE and referred me to the hospital. have been to the hospital today to see the specalist who also performed a DRE and informed me that I had prostrate cancer, am now booked in for a biopsy on monday.

My question is how accurate is a DRE I have no reason to doubt what I have been told but family members think that I will only know for certain with the results from the biopsy

feeling very confused

run long and prosper

'pooh how do you spell love'

'piglet you dont spell love -you just feel it'

User

Posted 27 Mar 2015 at 22:52

Hi, your family are right that only a biopsy can precisely diagnose Prostate cancer. However, it may be that on DRE the urologist could feel some tumour, perhaps because the prostate was very hard or lumpy. The biopsy will confirm his instincts (or prove him wrong I suppose) and provide the really important information about which type of cancer it is (there are at least 27 types of prostate cancer some of which might need more unusual treatments) and how developed it is. Sometimes, the information available to the urologist indicates that the cancer is so advanced that biopsy is not needed but fortunately, you do not seem to fall into that group.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 27 Mar 2015 at 23:03

The DRE is the first step on dx for PCa, the next is the biopsy which is the decider, you need to know the Gleason score and what level of cancer it is. In itself the DRE isn't accurate enough to say you have cancer but if the Dr or surgeon find it is knobbly then it is more likely, there are also different levels of biopsy done now, perhaps some of the later guys will fill you in on those.
Have you downloaded The Tool Kit from the main pages of this site? They are most informative.

Hope this helps. And if you click on anyones name/picture you can see their profile which should tell you what treatment they have or are having.

Chris.

PS. When you do get any information from the medics then it helps us if you can keep your profile updated.

Edited by member 27 Mar 2015 at 23:06 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 28 Mar 2015 at 06:19

thanks for the response, sorry about the lack of info in original question mind has been a bit of a blur,

he did say the prostrate felt very abnormal, hard and lumpy and in his opinion it was not in the early stages and he just expected the biopsy to confirm this, and that we would need to take it one step at a time

he was a really nice guy I shook his hand afterwards (as I do with any doctor) and he kept a firm grip, more of a comfort hold it seemed to me.

I did say that I had feared the worse and his response was along the lines of

'even though you had prepared for this comfirmation is still hard to take in'

run long and prosper

'pooh how do you spell love'

'piglet you dont spell love -you just feel it'

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