Research>Prostate Biopsy

How Effective Is The Prostate Biopsy?

Every year there are about one million prostate biopsies carried out in the United States alone, of which about 25 percent show the presence of prostate cancer. However, another 25 percent of these biopsies also produce false negative results, which means that a quarter of those men undergoing a prostate biopsy are being cleared by their biopsy, despite the fact that they do in fact have prostate cancer.

These results do not means that there is anything wrong with the prostate biopsy procedure as a tool for identifying prostate cancer, but it does mean that there is a need to identify those patients who, despite returning a negative result, are at high risk from prostate cancer and should therefore undergo a second follow-up biopsy.

Until now there has been no simple way of identifying patients at risk, however, a recent study of more than 500 patients being investigated for prostate cancer may provide a solution.

All of the men in the study group had previously received a negative biopsy result and researchers found that when they looked at both a patient's prostate specific antigen (PSA) test results and adjusted this for the size of the prostate gland they were able to identify those patients who were more likely to receive a positive result on a follow-up biopsy.

The researchers also discovered that a Gleeson score of 7 or higher suggested the presence of a life-threatening prostate cancer and the need for a further biopsy. The Gleeson score, which runs on a scale between 2 and 10, is derived from a microscopic investigation of biopsy tissue, with a low score indicating a cancer with a low risk of spread and a high score indicating a cancer which is more likely to spread.

A prostate biopsy is an expensive procedure and one which can also be very worrying for the patient. It can also be a painful procedure which can be accompanied by bleeding and patients run the risk of infection following the biopsy. For these reasons it is in everyone's interest to identify those patients for whom a second biopsy is advisable and to reduce as far as possible the number of unnecessary follow-up biopsies being performed each year.

Is Your Genital Area Larger Than Average

If you think a prostate exam is the height of humiliation, get over it. Why guys carry on about a prostate exam is beyond me. The male exam is the easiest way to detect and observe the health of the prostate, especially for prostate cancer. If you are a straight man a prostate exam is going to feel better when a woman does it than when a man does. A prostate exam is the only time you don't want to hear from a female who is inspecting your genital area that you're larger than average.

The exam is practically a right of passage for men entering their 40's. Besides, it is an appointment that can't be missed. A manual prostate exam is also used to determine signs and symptoms of prostatitis and BPH, both of which should usually be treated medically in men with SCI. Keep in mind that the best way to avoid any  exam is to prevent enlarged prostate problems in the first place.

Prostate exam is very insensitive for finding prostate cancer but may be useful in diagnosing problems with urination or interpreting elevated PSA levels. An annual visit to the physician for a physical examination and prostate exam is important for the sexual health of every man. A prostate exam is needed for men 40 years or older.

Prevent Enlarged Prostate Problems

As you decide what prevention strategies to adopt, keep in mind that several of the strongest known risk factors for prostate cancer are beyond your control. Prostate cancer can take decades to develop and that presents a unique opportunity for men to learn more prostate cancer prevention strategies. As with any efforts to improve general health, prostate cancer prevention should involve eating lots of fresh, raw fruit and vegetables, and natural foods that are high in fiber.

Certain drugs, vitamins and minerals may reduce your risk of prostate cancer, a strategy known as chemoprevention. Vitamins D and E appear to be potentially useful in prostate cancer prevention. Two studies in prostate cancer prevention research show powerful prevention of prostate cancer with daily green tea. While green tea and other dietary changes like a low-fat diet are still considered a prostate cancer alternative, prostate cancer prevention research on green tea is strong.

Conclusion

The prostate exam is done to check for infections, cancers, and other problems specific to this area. I'm certainly not going to tell anyone that a it is enjoyable (although I'm sure if you search the Internet there are probably entire web pages devoted to people who are thrilled by them- if you Google that and find that to be the case, don't tell me, please), but in truth the tests aren't really painful, a bit embarrassing certainly and awkward, but the entire ordeal lasts maybe 15 seconds.

The male prostate exam is the easiest way to detect and observe the health of the prostate, especially for prostate cancer. A prostate exam is the only time you don't want to hear from a female who is inspecting your genital area that you're larger than average. Find out more about Prostate Exam

Is The Prostate Cancer Biopsy An Effective Diagnostic Tool?

Although there are a number of tests that may be carried out if you suspect the possible presence of prostate cancer, the only certain way to confirm the disease is the prostate biopsy. But just how successful is the biopsy when it comes to confirming this disease?

In the US alone annually there are approximately one million prostate biopsies carried out of which around 25 percent indicate the presence of prostate cancer. But, of the remaining 75 percent of prostate biopsies about one-third produce false negative results. This means that approximately 25 percent of those men undergoing prostate biopsies are cleared by this test, in spite of the fact that they are suffering from prostate cancer.

At first sight therefore it might appear that the prostate biopsy is not a very satisfactory test but these results do not in fact mean that there is anything wrong with the prostate biopsy procedure as a method of confirming the presence of prostate cancer. What it does clearly mean however is the need to identify those patients who, in spite of returning a negative result, are nonetheless at high risk from prostate cancer and ought therefore to have a second follow-up biopsy.

The difficulty is that until now there has not been an easy method of identifying those patients at risk. Luckily, a recent study of more than five hundred men being investigated for prostate cancer may now provide a solution.

All of the men investigated in the study had previously received a negative prostate biopsy result but researchers found that when they looked at the patient's prostate specific antigen (PSA) test results and these were adjusted for the size of the prostate gland they were able to identify those patients who were more likely to produce a positive result on a second biopsy.

The researchers also discovered that patients with a Gleeson score of 7 or higher were at greater risk from life-threatening prostate cancer and were once again more likely to produce a positive result from a second biopsy. The Gleeson score runs on a scale between 2 and 10 and a patient's score is derived from a microscopic investigation of prostate biopsy tissue. Low scores point to cancer with a small risk of spread while high scores point to cancer that is more likely to spread.

There are a number of prostate biopsy procedures used today but perhaps the most common procedure is the core needle biopsy. Here a number of very small tissue samples are removed from different areas of the prostrate gland with a biopsy gun that fires a needle into the selected section and removes the sample in a fraction of a second. These samples are then sent off for laboratory analysis to find out whether cancer is present and, if so, to establish just how much of the prostate gland is affected.

A prostate biopsy is a costly procedure and is a test that can be quite upsetting for the patient. It can also be a fairly painful procedure that may involve bleeding and a risk of infection. For these reasons it is important to pinpoint those men for whom a follow-up biopsy would be sensible and to reduce as far as we can the number of needless follow-up biopsies being done every year.

Understanding A Prostate Biopsy Procedure

If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you want to make sure the diagnosis is completely accurate so that you can pursue the right type of treatment. One of the best ways of determining whether or not you have prostate cancer is with a prostate biopsy procedure. This procedure is the most thorough way of detecting cancer cells, even at its earliest stages. The goal behind a prostate biopsy procedure is to take a small amount of tissue from the area and examine it to see whether or not cancer cells are present. Here is how a prostate biopsy procedure is performed.

• Preparing for the biopsy: The first thing that you will do before you have a prostate biopsy procedure is to prepare for the medical test. By now you have already had an initial physical examination and your doctor suspects that something is abnormal. When a biopsy is performed, it can look at the cells to see if cancer is present. Your doctor will inform you of the procedures before it takes place. Your doctor may ask that you have an enema before the procedure to clean out the intestines beforehand. The doctor will also mostly likely prescribe antibiotics. This will help ensure that there are no infections present before the prostate biopsy procedure is performed. In addition, your doctor may ask that you do not take any medications prior to the procedure.

• Determining the type of prostate biopsy procedure: Before your appointment, your doctor will have already determined which procedure is right for you. There are several different biopsy procedures that can be done. The most common is the needle in the perineum. A needle in inserted and cells are taken for examination. About 6-12 samples are taken. This procedure takes about 20 minutes and there are little to no difficulties from the procedure. Other common procedures are the needle in the rectum and the cytoscopy.

• Care after the procedure: Depending on which procedure you have, your doctor will recommend that you slow your daily activities and that you watch for swelling or bleeding. There is usually a little pain and discomfort, but it should not last more that two days. You should contact your doctor if you have problems urinating after 24 hours or have bleeding, swelling or fever.

There are usually little to no side effects of the prostate biopsy procedure except for mild pain and discomfort. Side effects can include difficulty urinating, bleeding from the rectum, a lowered sperm count and infection.

Prostate Biopsy Procedure - What You Should Expect

Although there are a number of tests used to indicate the possible presence of prostate cancer, including the prostate specific antigen, or PSA, test and the digital rectal examination, or DRE, the only way to make a positive diagnosis of prostate cancer is by means of a prostate biopsy.

The prostate biopsy is an essential test for people who have been identified as being at high risk from prostate cancer and, while many men shy away from procedure, or put it off as long as possible, the fear of the procedure is more imagined than real.

While it is certainly fair to say that a prostate biopsy is an uncomfortable procedure, most men report that it is relatively pain free and the number of men reporting pain following the procedure is quite small.

There are a number of different prostate biopsy procedures used today, but perhaps the most common procedure is the core needle biopsy. Here a number of very small tissue samples are removed from different areas of the prostrate using a biopsy gun which fires a needle into the area from which the sample is to be taken to remove the sample within just a fraction of a second. These samples are then sent for laboratory analysis to determine whether cancer is present and, if so, to determine just how much of the prostate is affected.

In most cases the prostate is accessed through the wall of the rectum as this provides reasonably easy access to the prostate gland. This procedure is normally carried out under local anesthetic and typically takes about 30 minutes.

In some cases however the prostate gland is accessed through the urethra, which passes through the prostate gland. Here a lighted scope with a small cutting loop is inserted into the urethra to collect the samples and the procedure is again carried out under local anesthetic (or occasionally under general anesthetic) and takes between 30 and 45 minutes.

Yet another, although less common option, is to collect needle biopsy samples through the perineum, which is the area that lies between the rectum and the scrotum. In this case the urologist will use a finger inserted into the rectum to hold the prostate gland steady and will then insert the biopsy needle through a small incision made in the perineum. This procedure is again carried out under local anesthetic (or again occasionally under general anesthetic) and although this is the fastest procedure, taking only about 15 minutes, it is not often carried out these days.

At the end of the day dealing with prostate cancer is far from pleasant and the relatively small and short-lived discomfort of the prostate biopsy is a small price to pay to detect the presence of this life-threatening condition at a stage when dealing with it is relatively simple.