The prostate is a male-specific sex organ located at bladder neck at the base of the penis, closing to rectum and about 4-5cm from the anal margin, thus, it can be touched by digital rectal examination. However, many men feel ashamed to have digital rectal examination and cannot openly accept it.

It should be stressed that periodic digital rectal examination can detect traces of prostate disease, so it is a must for male friends to crack psychological grudge readily to accept rectal examination.

What is the prostate digital rectal examination?

When conduct digital rectal examination, doctors can touch the central hollow behind the prostate gland in rectal anterior wall, called central sulcus. The slightly raised left and right sides are customarily called as left lobe and right lobe, by touching these marks, it can understand the size of the prostate morphology, estimate its volume and clarify whether there is tenderness or abnormal nodules of prostate. All these are of great importance for the diagnosis of prostate disease.

Digital rectal examination is generally non-invasive, simple and low in consumption, thus it shall be acceptable among patients. It is an indispensable means for prostate disease diagnosis, and also is the first choice.

Digital rectal examination can distinguish type of prostate disease

The easiest way to check chronic prostatitis is digital rectal examination, as it can check the size, shape, tenderness or not, etc., thus make the initial diagnosis of prostate disease and further carry on screening. Meanwhile prostate massage can be performed and check the prostate fluid properties and composition changes.

Digital rectal examination can detect prostate cancer in the early stage

Prostate cancer patients’ prostates are in hard texture and have irregular nodules in the surface. When approaching end of digital rectal examination, doctors gently squeeze from both sides towards the center extrude prostatic fluid through the urethra to drop out on the slide spoon, and then send for prostate fluid routine examination or for bacterial culture and sensitivity test in the lab. Through rectal examination, experienced doctors will be able to find prostate abnormalities. No matter there is prostate disease or not, it is suggested that middle-aged men do at least one time digital rectal examination each year.

*Surgery, in addition to the appropriate chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are effective in treating early cancer, but certain patients in late stage of cancer may not be tolerate surgery well as they can be relatively weak. A combination of carefully planned minimally invasive therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy can effectively reduce the side effects and discomfort of treatment and may help patient get better efficacy.