Frequently Asked Questions

Can prostate cancer be found before a man has symptoms?

Yes. Two tests are commonly used to detect prostate cancer in the absence of any symptoms. One is the digital rectal exam, in which a doctor feels the prostate through the rectum to find hard or lumpy areas. The other is a blood test used to detect a substance made by the prostate called prostate specific antigen (PSA). Together, these tests can detect many silent prostate cancers, those that have not caused symptoms.

Currently, the National Cancer Institute is supporting research to learn more about screening men for prostate cancer. This research will try to determine whether the blood test for PSA along with digital rectal examination can help reduce the death rate from this disease. It will also assess the risks and benefits of screening. At present, it is unclear whether routine screening of men who are not at unusually high risk will prove to save lives and outweigh the extra surgery, radiation, and complications of therapy for large numbers of patients, many of whom do not have aggressive or life-threatening tumors.

NCI, Questions and Answers About Early Prostate Cancer, 1999.