Who is prostate biopsy for? Prerequisites…

After PSA testing and DRE (Digital Rectal Exam), a prostate biopsy may be required by your doctor, in order to make a correct and as precise as possible diagnostic.

So we may conclude that a biopsy of the prostate is necessary if either the PSA or DRE result is abnormal.

Why is prostate biopsy done?

It is performed for two reasons:

1. in order to find the true cause behind the elevated PSA levels.
2. because, as we stated before, the best thing a doctor has when diagnosing his patient, or in the process of staging a cancer, is a portion of living tissue. This is why doctors say that the only time they can be sure aboug the diagnosis and staging is when they have the prostate on the plate, that is in the case of a prostatectomy. The pathologist can only then investigate the prostate in its entirety and draw exact conclusions...

   We can play with PSA levels, blood samples, and joggle with medical concepts and ideas, but until you get the prostate biopsy to the microscope, nothing's for sure. And even then...

Unless you (or your doctor) are a clairvoyant...

How to get ready

Of course, your medical history is very important: past diseases, past or current intake of medications, any heart diseases, alergies (to anything, be it medications, anesthetics, polen, if you have it and know it, say it) and so on.

Also don't forget to mention any medications you might be on at the present.

Other preparation steps could involve:

• Signing a consent form in which you assume all risks involved and declare yourself aware of the implications of the procedure (so you should be informed about all details... this document is intended to help a lot here, and your health professional should be able to provide you with specification for things that are unclear)
• If the prostate biopsy involves local anesthesia through the perineum (area between anus and scrotum), no other preparation is needed.
• If done through the rectum, an enema will be done.
• If done under general anesthesia, refrain from eating or drinking anything for 8 to 12 hours before the prostate biopsy.

Related prostate health articles:

• Prostate Biopsy Risks & Side-effects- Are there any?: Sometimes people ask about prostate biopsy side effects, or about prostate biopsy risks . The greatest risk is not getting accurate prostate samples, that is not making correct conclusions as a result of the biopsy.
• Prostate Biopsy- How does it feel?: Most people only feel a slight sting, while others accuse very bad consequences (such as prostatitis) following prostate biopsy.
• Prostate Biopsy- How is it done? Procedure…: There is an ongoing refinment of the prostate biopsy process, adapting it to prostates of different sizes and shapes.
• The Prostate Biopsy: The prostate biopsy is an important part of the diagnosis because an accurate and early estimation of tumor grade significantly helps prostate cancer patients in their management of prostate disorders.
• Prostate Biopsy- Is it a Perfect Procedure?: The tumor is a compact mass of cells and that is what is normally felt during a DRE. Some cancers are already in an advanced stage, and only few prostate biopsy samples are needed.

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