Early prostate cancer treatment may stop or slow the spread of cancer. Together, the PSA and DRE can help to find prostate cancer early, before it spreads. The DRE is safe and easy, but cannot spot early cancer by itself. For this exam, the doctor puts a lubricated gloved finger into the rectum. During this test, the doctor feels for an abnormal shape, consistency, nodularity or thickness to the gland. This test is also used to screen for and stage cancer, or track how well treatment is going. Illustration of the Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) Enlarge The digital rectal exam (DRE) is a physical exam used to help your doctor feel for changes in your prostate. Your doctor may also use a digital rectal exam (DRE) test for a better sense of your prostate health. The PSA test is not used alone to make a diagnosis. In addition, your doctor may want to test the level of testosterone in your blood. A rapid rise in PSA may be a sign something is wrong. It is used to stage cancer, plan treatment and track how well treatment is going. The PSA test is used to look for changes to the way your prostate produces PSA. Results for this test are usually shared as nanograms of PSA per milliliter (ng/mL) of blood. ![]() Only the prostate and prostate cancers make PSA. The PSA blood test measures a protein in your blood called the prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
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