How to Check for Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is a common ailment across the globe. The very mention of the disease may terrify people, but the fact is that this cancer is easy to cure when detected early enough. The significant question here is: how to check for prostate cancer?

Regular screening tests are an effective way to identify prostate cancer at an early stage. Annual screening tests are a good idea, especially if your family has a history of prostate cancer or if you are above 45. But even before you go in for screening, you can carry out a check yourself to find any indications of the disease.

Home PSA tests are a simple and effective way to test for prostate cancer by oneself. This at-home test checks the levels of Prostate Specific Antigen or PSA.

Apart from this, watch out for common symptoms such as:

• Frequent urge to urinate, mainly during sleep hours

• Inability to start or stop urinating easily

• Uncontrollable need to urinate

• Always full bladder

• Erectile dysfunction

• Trace of blood in urine or semen

• Pain in the lower abdomen, thighs & lower back

• Exhaustion

Keeping an eye out for these symptoms is another simple solution to how to check for prostate cancer at home.

Apart from these, there are other ways to diagnose prostate cancer.

Other tests to check for prostate cancer

The at-home PSA test is one solution for how to check for prostate cancer without a lab test. However, there are other tests that your doctor may carry out or advise you to get done if you are a high-risk patient.

• DRE

This is a digital rectal examination where the doctor inserts a well-lubricated, gloved finger into your rectum to ascertain whether the prostate seems enlarged, lumpy or has abnormal texture.

• Ultrasound

A transrectal ultrasound probe is inserted in your rectum to capture images and display them to the doctor. Based on these images, the doctor can tell if your prostate is normal.

• MRI

Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the prostate is done by directing the MRI at your abdomen.

• Biopsy

If the doctor wishes to test for cancer, a biopsy of your prostate is taken and sent for testing. This is usually done when the doctor feels that there is a possibility of cancer.