Pain, Size of Prostate Could Indicate Problems

Based on content from the National Cancer Institute publication, “Understanding Prostate Changes.”

In most cases, cancer of the prostate is slow-growing and generally symptom-free in its early stages.

When it is more aggressive, the mortality rate is higher than any cancer other than lung cancer.

That's why regular checkups are necessary to make sure any problems are dealt with early on.

These types of tests are most often used to check the prostate:

Health history and current symptoms

This first step lets your doctor hear and understand the "story" of your prostate concerns. You'll be asked whether you have symptoms, how long you've had them, and how much they affect your lifestyle. Your personal medical history also includes any risk factors, pain, fever, or trouble passing urine. You may be asked to give a urine sample for testing.

Digital rectal exam (DRE)

DRE is a standard way to check the prostate. With a gloved and lubricated finger, your doctor feels the prostate from the rectum. The test lasts about 10-15 seconds.

This exam checks for:

•     The size, firmness, and texture of the prostate
•     Any hard areas, lumps, or growth spreading beyond the prostate
•     Any pain caused by touching or pressing the prostate

The DRE allows the doctor to feel only one side of the prostate. A PSA test is another way to help your doctor check the health of your prostate.

PSA (Prostate-specific antigen) test

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of the PSA test along with a DRE to help detect prostate cancer in men age 50 and older.

PSA is a protein made by prostate cells. It is normally secreted into ducts in the prostate, where it helps make semen, but sometimes it leaks into the blood. When PSA is in the blood, it can be measured with a blood test called the PSA test.

In prostate cancer, more PSA gets into the blood than is normal. However, a high PSA blood level is not proof of cancer, and many other things can cause a false-positive test result. For example, blood PSA levels are often increased in men with prostatitis or BPH. Even things that disturb the prostate gland--such as riding a bicycle or motorcycle, or having a DRE, an orgasm within the past 24 hours, a prostate biopsy, or prostate surgery--may increase PSA levels.

Also, some prostate glands naturally produce more PSA than others. PSA levels go up with age. African-American men tend to have higher PSA levels in general than men of other races. And some drugs, such as finasteride and dutasteride, can cause a man's PSA level to go down.

PSA tests are often used to follow men after prostate cancer treatment to check for signs of cancer recurrence.

It is not yet known for certain whether PSA testing to screen for prostate cancer can reduce a man's risk of dying from the disease.

Researchers are working to learn more about:

•     The PSA test's ability to help doctors tell the difference between prostate cancer and benign prostate problems
•     The best thing to do if a man has a high PSA level

For now, men and their doctors use PSA readings over time as a guide to see if more follow-up is needed.

What do PSA results mean?

PSA levels are measured in terms of the amount of PSA per volume of fluid tested. Doctors often use a value of 4 nanograms (ng) or higher per milliliter of blood as a sign that further tests, such as a prostate biopsy, are needed.

Your doctor may monitor your PSA velocity, which means the rate of change in your PSA level over time. Rapid increases in PSA readings may suggest cancer. If you have a mildly elevated PSA level, you and your doctor may choose to do PSA tests on a scheduled basis and watch for any change in the PSA velocity.

Free PSA test

This test is used for men who have higher PSA levels. The standard PSA test measures total PSA, which includes both PSA that is attached, or bound, to other proteins and PSA that is free, or not bound. The free PSA test measures free PSA only. Free PSA is linked to benign prostate conditions, such as BPH, whereas bound PSA is linked to cancer. The percentage of free PSA can help tell what kind of prostate problem you have.

•     If both total PSA and free PSA are higher than normal (high percentage of free PSA), this suggests BPH rather than cancer.
•     If total PSA is high but free PSA is not (low percentage of free PSA), cancer is more likely. More testing, such as a biopsy, should be done.

You and your doctor should talk about your personal risk and free PSA results. Then you can decide together whether to have follow-up biopsies and, if so, how often.

Prostate biopsy

If your symptoms or test results suggest prostate cancer, your doctor will refer you to a specialist (a urologist) for a prostate biopsy. A biopsy is usually done in the doctor's office.

For a biopsy, small tissue samples are taken directly from the prostate. Your doctor will take samples from several areas of the prostate gland. This can help lower the chance of missing any areas of the gland that may have cancer cells. Like other cancers, prostate cancer can be diagnosed only by looking at tissue under a microscope.

Most men who have biopsies after prostate cancer screening exams do not have cancer.

If a biopsy is positive

A positive test result after a biopsy means prostate cancer is present. A pathologist will check your biopsy sample for cancer cells and will give it a Gleason score. The Gleason score ranges from 2 to 10 and describes how likely it is that a tumor will spread. The lower the number, the less aggressive the tumor is and the less likely it will spread.

Treatment options depend on the stage (or extent) of the cancer (stages range from 1 to 4), Gleason score, PSA level, and your age and general health. This information will be available from your doctor and is listed on your pathology report.

Reaching a decision about treatment of your prostate cancer is a complex process. Many men find it helpful to talk with their doctors, family, friends, and other men who have faced similar decisions.

Checklist of questions to ask your doctor

•     What type of prostate problem do I have?
•     Is more testing needed and what will it tell me?
•     If I decide on watchful waiting, what changes in my symptoms should I look for and how often should I be tested?
•     What type of treatment do you recommend for my prostate problem?
•     For men like me, has this treatment worked?
•     How soon would I need to start treatment and how long would it last?
•     Do I need medicine and how long would I need to take it before seeing improvement in my symptoms?
•     What are the side effects of the medicine?
•     Are there other medicines that could interfere with this medication?
•     If I need surgery, what are the benefits and risks?
•     Would I have any side effects from surgery that could affect my quality of life?
•     Are these side effects temporary or permanent?
•     How long is recovery time after surgery?
•     Will I be able to fully return to normal?
•     How will this affect my sex life?
•     How often should I visit the doctor to monitor my condition?

By National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation's medical research agency — making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. NIH is the largest single source of financing for medical research in the world, seeking new ways to cure disease, alleviate suffering and prevent illness. By providing the evidence base for health decisions by individuals and their clinicians, NIH is empowering Americans to embrace healthy living through informed decision-making. NIH is made up of 27 institutes and centers, each with a specific research agenda, focusing on stages of life, like aging or child health, or particular diseases or body systems.