Why are annual prostate exams required for men 50 +? Posted: 05-30-07 03:26am
I turned 50 last year and was scheduled
for my first prostrate exam during my
annual physical in January of this year,
however, the exam ended up being a little
bit different than how I expected it to
be. My doctor told me that he wasn't able
to complete the exam because his finger
wasn't able to reach far enough to exam my
prostrate. Well, I was a bit confused by
what my doctor had told me because I have
never heard of that happening before.
Also, my doctor told me that the blood
test that I was going to take will reveal
whether or not there's any indication of
cancer in my body. Okay, I was a bit
confused again. I'm thinking that if a
blood test serves the purpose of revealing
whether or not a man has prostrate cancer,
then what's the whole point in men having
to get prostrate exams when they turn 50
and what's the whole point in the medical
community stressing the importance of a
yearly prostrate exam?
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DoctorAnswer
Doctor Answer
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Prostate Cancer Answer A2832 Posted: 06-06-07 02:03am
The causes of prostate cancer remain
unknown. Age is the main risk factor for
the development of prostate cancer; this
disease is rare among men younger than 45
years. Therefore, doctors estimate that
the chances of getting prostate cancer
grow as a man gets older. That's why
screening can help identify and treat
eventual cancer early. Prostate screening
includes a digital rectal exam and blood
test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
However, these two methods can only detect
possible problems in the prostate as a
whole. They don't indicate whether the
problem is cancer or some other, less
serious condition. The results from
prostate screening help the doctor decide
if there's need for further examinations.
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