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Symptoms, risk and screening
Are you over 50 years old, or have you been having urinary problems for some time now? This video is for you! Several diseases can affect your prostate, and it’s important to detect them early. Let’s take a closer look.

Consultation

Finding the cause of your symptoms

To determine the cause of your symptoms and to help decide on a course of treatment, your doctor may decide to proceed with:

• A urine analysis. Antibiotics will be prescribed if the test detects an infection.
• A physical examination. This examination evaluates your general health and checks for any sign of illness, including any signs associated with prostate cancer. During this exam, your doctor will perform a digital rectal exam.
• A bladder diary assessment. In a journal, record your drinking habits (quantity and type) and frequency of urination.

Expectations and results

You will need to wait about a week before obtaining the results of your PSA test. While the PSA test is one of the best screening tools for prostate cancer, “false positive” or “false negative” results are still possible.

False-positive

• A false-positive PSA test result is possible when there is no cancer present if a man has elevated PSA levels. Such results can not only cause anxiety for the man and his family, but can also lead to more tests which have additional side effects. A prostate biopsy, for example, can cause infections, pain, and bleeding.
• Most men with an elevated PSA level do not have cancer. Only about 25% of men who underwent a prostate biopsy because of elevated PSA levels actually had prostate cancer.

False-negative

• A false-negative PSA test result occurs if a man shows normal PSA levels despite the presence of prostate cancer.
• Such results can give the patient a false sense of security and the impression that he does not have cancer even though medical attention or treatment may be required.

The next step

If your doctor believes that other tests are needed to confirm whether or not you have prostate problems, he will refer you to a urologist who will make you retake certain tests. It is possible that you will be asked to undergo another PSA test in the near future to see if your PSA levels are increasing. Depending on the results, you will decide together with your doctor what step to take next.