On call: The digital rectal exam
Q. I just reviewed your article on PSA testing. After talking with my wife, I've decided to skip the PSA test when I go for my annual physical next month. But your article doesn't say much about rectal exams. Should I skip that also?
A. It's a good question. We didn't have much to say about the digital rectal exam (DRE) because we were focusing on studies that don't tell us much about the DRE. The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial tested the combination of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and DRE and found that the pair did not reduce the risk of dying from prostate cancer. The European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) was conducted in seven countries; all used the PSA, but only a few added DREs — and even these included DREs for just a portion of the nine-year trial. As you may recall, the ERSPC found that screening reduced prostate cancer deaths by 20%, but at the cost of treating 48 men unnecessarily to prevent one prostate cancer death.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
