Prostate Cancer Screening & Diagnosis

Prostate cancer is a serious disease that is slow to develop, mainly in older men. Typical symptoms, including urinary problems, may not appear at all in the early stages.

AtlantiCare encourages men 50 and older to get annual screenings to detect this common condition early, when it can be closely monitored or treated. African-American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer should be screened sooner, typically by age 40 or 45.

Call 1-888-569-1000 to see if a prostate screening is right for you.

Types of Prostate Screenings We Perform

AtlantiCare urologists perform two routine screenings to look for warning signs of prostate cancer:

Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Blood Test

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a substance made by cells in the prostate gland (both normal cells and cancer cells). PSA is mostly found in semen, but a small amount is also in the blood.

A prostate-specific antigen test checks the level of PSA in the blood. Elevated PSA may be a sign of prostate cancer or a non-cancerous problem called benign prostate hyperplasia (enlarged prostate).

Digital Rectal Exam (DRE)

During a digital rectal exam (DRE), your physician inserts a gloved finger into the rectum to feel the prostate for any irregularities (both growths and enlargement). The exam takes just a few seconds and helps save lives.

Follow-Up Testing

While these early detection tools can look for signs of prostate cancer, they can’t tell for sure if you have the condition. If your results show anything abnormal, your urologist may recommend a few quick and relatively painless follow-up tests. Common tests include transrectal ultrasound (TRUS), which uses sound waves to create a clear picture of the prostate, as well as prostate biopsy, in which small samples of the prostate are removed and reviewed under a microscope.