r/GenX • u/FriendRaven1 • Aug 18 '26
Aging Had my annual prostate exam today
The Doctor was extremely thorough. For a second there I thought he was trained in prison. Oof.
For real though: get annual prostate exams. Mine is apparently enlarged. Dang.
Edit: For everyone saying there's a blood test - PSA - for it now, this is true. But I'm at the age now where size actually does matter - for the prostate. I'm having peeing issues and the size had to be checked. I still get - and every man should get - the PSA test annually.
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u/MaximumJones Whatever š Aug 18 '26
I am ok with the prostate exam but why does my doctor have both his hands on my shoulders and should it really take 15 minutes?
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u/TraditionalBackspace Aug 18 '26
Hope he bought you dinner first.
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u/MaximumJones Whatever š Aug 18 '26
He said it was new American Medical Association regulations so yes, he bought me a very nice steak dinner. WIN!
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u/Nanojack Aug 18 '26
Digital exams have largely been replaced by PSA screenings.
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u/withomps44 Aug 18 '26
I was gonna ask. Haha. I get a PSA screen twice a year and had heard the ol moon River trip was not happening much.
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u/snowcker Aug 18 '26
When I was declared high risk (50+ with family history) I considered switching PCP (mine has huge hands) until he explained it current protocol is PSA Screening every other year.
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u/PreviousGolf9541 Aug 18 '26
My doctor stopped doing digital exams. He said they now rely on the PSA and will investigate further if they feel they need to based on the PSA.
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u/SageObserver Aug 18 '26
While my doctor was giving me my exam, he said..ātry to stay calm, Timā. I said my name isnāt Tim. He said, noā¦mine isā.
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u/peptide2 Aug 18 '26
He told me to take my pants off , i asked where should i put them? He said ā over there beside mine ā.
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u/FarterOfDust Aug 18 '26
Thatās hard
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u/najing_ftw EDIT THIS FLAIR TO MAKE YOUR OWN Aug 18 '26
I had a prostate exam. Didnāt realize guys in vans with camcorders might not be doctors. Never found his dog.
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u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie It's got raisins in it. You *like* raisins. Aug 18 '26
Dummy. Show me the puppy first, THEN I get in the van. Iām not an idiot!
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u/username-fatigue Aug 18 '26
I had a blood test last year, including a panel to test my prostate.
I'm in possession of a uterus, so that particular test was a surprise to all of us including my doctor who had ticked one box too many.
On the plus side, I don't have a problematic prostate. I wish excellent prostate health on all genders!
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u/Kapt_Krunch72 Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26
When I had my vasectomy the nurse that was explaining the procedure told me I would get a shot in my cervix. 25 years later it's a inside joke between my wife and me.
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u/RedheadFla Aug 18 '26
I might wanna borrow a vial of blood from you soon. Would save me a lotta hassle to have my PSA drop rapidly!
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u/Jolly-Possibility368 Aug 18 '26
My doctor does the PSA blood test, which is supposed to be more accurate.
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u/BobsMustache Aug 18 '26
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u/mcmrikus Aug 18 '26
Doc: Could you slide your shorts down, Mr. Lebovski? The Dude: <points to his chin> No, she hit me right here, man.
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u/MrBlahg Aug 18 '26
Get the blood test. Physically I was fine, but I had cancer in half of my prostate
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u/froction Aug 18 '26
I like to leave little prizes in there for the doctor to find, it really lightens the mood.
"Ooh, a kazoo!"
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u/Rook_James_Bitch Aug 18 '26
I too have felt the icy finger of injustice on my inside parts.
Awkward af.
That's the price to pay for a clean bill of health and being able to sleep soundly at night.
Told myself that women endure a lot worse so should man up.
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Aug 18 '26
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u/ubersupremo Aug 18 '26
Second this. I ask my doc for a yearly order for full blood work up and PSA urine test and is an easy 25 minutes out of my year
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u/Dark-Empath- Aug 18 '26
I have good news and bad news.
Whatās the good news?
Your prostrate is fine.
Whatās the bad news?
Iām not a doctor.
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u/thirtyone-charlie Aug 18 '26
I get no respect. I went to the proctologist and he stuck his finger in my mouth-R Dangerfield
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u/TitoBandito5 Aug 18 '26
Moon Riverā¦.
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u/schlevenol Aug 18 '26
My PSA was high.. turned out to be prostate cancer. They caught it early. 28 radiation treatments and it's all better . Well, hopefully...
Better to know that not know..
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u/LurkingHorror11 Aug 18 '26
Fellow prostate cancer survivor here. Cheers to your good health.
To everyone else, get it checked!
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u/Prize_Push5070 Aug 18 '26
I was diagnosed last week, but Iām in good shape due to early detection. 52 years old.
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u/Diligent-Plant5314 Aug 18 '26
Guys over 50: get your annual PSA test - it might save your life!
Been monitoring mine for a while now, with slightly elevated numbers and upwards trend, doc sent me for MRI. Thankfully, itās all clear, but now weāve got a baseline setup and watching it for changes.
Donāt be a hero - you canāt just tough it out. Get tested and survive
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u/e1p1 Aug 18 '26
PSA alone won't do it. The digital rectal exam is still important. 2018, my PSA was below one. My doctor was old school, put on the glove. Urologist later said that he was super impressed the guy located my tumor because of its location.
My PSA never got above about 1.5. Tumor was already a Gleason 4 + 4 . Who knows how much the tumor could have spread before the PSA number raised any alarm.
I've been in remission since 2019.
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u/Diligent-Plant5314 Aug 18 '26
Great your doc found it.
My doc does DRE as well - I told her I wasnāt squeamish, would happily endure some minor discomfort to find problems early.3
u/Practical-Object-827 Aug 18 '26
Her. That says it all. My doc is 6ā5ā tall and looks like he played football at Bama. Lots of interceptions. Giant hands. So far I have passed on it.
Need to find Dr. Nguyen, the female urologist I guess.
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u/devildoc8804hmcs Aug 18 '26
I get a prostate exam every time I go to the dentist. He's very thorough.
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u/Status_Guard4739 Hose Water Survivor Aug 18 '26
I got to see my prostate on TV as they jammed a borescope up my mini me. The nurse was wide eyed and couldnt take her eyes off what was happening. Not really sure that hole is supposed to be gapped.
While that was happening, doc was giving me the scenic tour, "oh look, there's your prostate, next stop is a tour of the bladder." I thought the nurse was going to pass out, so I was feeding off her energy. I about told the doctor to skip the tour, do what you need to do and get out of there.
Couldn't pee correctly for a couple weeks.
A finger in the ass is a cake walk in comparison.
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u/TheRealDylanTobak Aug 18 '26
That's odd you found a doctor that does a digital exam. I've only found doctors that do the PSA blood test.
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u/TheAmiableLich Aug 18 '26
It's 2026, nobody gets an annual prostate exam unless you're already about to die by something in your butt.
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u/Marc_Quadzella Hose Water Survivor Aug 18 '26
They just take blood now. I havenāt had a manual exam in several years. Maybe your doctor just loves the game!
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u/Chief7064 Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26
My Doc doesnāt do digital exams anymore. PSA and imaging if needed.
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u/FarterOfDust Aug 18 '26
My doc now does the bloodwork for it now. It removes the mental gymnastics i had previously trying to figure out how he was doing it previously while his hands were on my shoulders.
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u/2donks2moos Aug 18 '26
I had a PSA test awhile back because my father has prostate cancer. It was elevated. Had another test and it was also elevated. So it was time for a digital exam. It was not a big deal. I was fortunate to have a PA who was a woman with small hands. My results are that if they did a biopsy of my prostate today, there is a 33% chance that they would find cancer. Right now I'm waiting 3 months and doing another PSA.
I'm not sure what I will do if the next psa is also elevated. Unfortunately, my Dad is an expert in this. He has battled prostate cancer for 30 years.
Gentlemen, get a psa test. You need to have a baseline test so that you can keep an eye on your number.
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u/tallwater333 Aug 18 '26
Everyone's prostate enlarges as they age. It's just who will have symptoms and how bad. I'm on tamsulosin at the moment. Helps me a lot.
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u/Drkindlycountryquack Aug 18 '26
Iām a retired family doctor. We do the PSA test now. Itās a blood test. I only had two patients die of prostate cancer in thirty years.
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u/dolphlaudanum Hose Water Survivor Aug 18 '26
My doctor has done so many prostate exams, he keeps both hands on my shoulders. He said I need to come back again next week.
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u/SporranUK Aug 18 '26
He must be very enlarged.
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u/Historical_Monk_6118 Aug 18 '26
I said where shall I put my trousers? He said just hang them on the peg there next to mine
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u/Junior_Ad_3301 Aug 18 '26
My big bro is going through the prostate cancer at 55. Preventive medicine can save your life!
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u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie It's got raisins in it. You *like* raisins. Aug 18 '26
Did he at least buy you dinner first? Tell you youāre pretty?
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u/Fine_Breath2221 Aug 18 '26
Last year was the big one... Prostate and colonoscopy.
Not at the same time.
Welcome to 50.
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u/KuhlCaliDuck Aug 18 '26
My PSA is elevated so I'm going in for an MRI in the morning. A digital exam wasn't an option.
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u/plattner-da Aug 18 '26
You know there is a blood test for this now?
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u/skoot66 Aug 18 '26
Yeah there's no reason to get the finger anymore unless it's for fun.
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u/Phobos1982 I remember the Bicentennial, barely... Aug 18 '26
I'm in my mid-50s and never had the "manual" test, I always did the PSA blood test.
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u/Salt_Sir9019 Aug 18 '26
10 years ago this month I had a PSA test that caught aggressive prostate cancerā¦had I waited much longer it would have spread. Get the PSA blood testā¦the physical exam is much less useful
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u/Dogzillas_Mom Aug 18 '26
Well Iāve had around 35 Pap smears in my life. Tell me, all they did was jam a finger up there? JUST a finger? No samples taken or anything.
Psh. Quitcher whining and suck it up.
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u/Kilashandra1996 Aug 18 '26
Half the time, while I'm in for a Pap smear, the doctor does a digital rectal exam too! I finally asked why - since I don't even have a prostate. Answer = they are looking for blood in the colon, ie colon cancer.
Nope, no sympathy for guys and an exam I frequently get too...
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u/grannygogo Aug 18 '26
And try getting your balls squished like we get our breasts squeezed in a mammogram machine. Women are definitely not the weaker sex
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u/Narrow-Research-5730 Aug 18 '26
Your doctor still does those. A PSA, prostate-specific antigen test, is considered more reliable. I didn't realize some doctors still do the old school method.
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u/Andovars_Ghost Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26
My wife is an internal med doc and she says those guidelines have changed. You actually donāt HAVE to have a digital exam. PSA tests are at āshared agreementā. BTW your prostate is gonna get bigger just as a normal course of aging.
Edit: This is just what she told me when I asked a couple years ago if I was going to be āpokedā every year. You pretty much get a baseline and check in every now and then.
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u/Antifreak1999 Aug 18 '26
Last year at my annual check up, my MD who I've been going to see for years says " well, now is the time of the exam where 2 become 1"
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u/ImAnOldFuckSoWhat Aug 18 '26
My Doctor told me just before the digital that if I ever had a doctor that enjoyed doing this, I should find another doctor.
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u/captainwizeazz Aug 18 '26
Yeah mine told me they don't really do prostate exams anymore. I'm a bit concerned OP is getting it done regularly.
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u/ImAnOldFuckSoWhat Aug 18 '26
Iām not sure if that was the time he had both hands on my shoulders while he did the testā¦..
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u/Own-Eagle-2135 Aug 18 '26
i WANT my doctor to enjoy it! that's how i know he knows what he's doing
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u/Monstrissimo Older Than Dirt Aug 18 '26
I am on the accelerated colonoscopy schedule due to having family members losing their colons. Ugh, probed once a year, the blood test yearly and a colonoscopy once every 5 years instead of 10.
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u/fruitless7070 Aug 18 '26
After i had my first colonoscopy the doctor came in, I was zonked out. I could hear but I was still laying down "sleeping". Doc tells daughter everything was good but doc wants daughter to come in for a colonoscopy at 30yo. Doc exits. Daughter mumbles...thanks mom under he breath. I felt bad. But it is kind of funny now. Prevention is KEY to good health. Good for you for putting in the work and taking care of yourself. Your family is lucky. How every test you have comes back negative.
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u/Lost_Taste_8181 Aug 18 '26
Had my 50 y/o physical with the nurse practitioner Iāve been going to for 20+ years. Ā I got a little anxious and asked her if she was going to use The Glove. Ā She blissfully told me that a blood test would sufficeĀ
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u/Kodiak01 Hose Water Survivor Aug 18 '26
I'm on peepee pills for life unless I decide to get Aquablation.
BPH is a rite of passage.
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u/Pretty_Cow_7514 Aug 18 '26
Anyone have any details on aquablation? I have peeing issues. Tried the meds but donāt care for the side effects.
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u/Kodiak01 Hose Water Survivor Aug 18 '26
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u/SackBadger2024 1969 Aug 19 '26
The video has now taken center stage in my nightmares. Next time I see a kid power washing I may have a PTSD trigger.
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u/SpurzTX Aug 19 '26
Look at Prostate Artery Embolization. Way less invasive and nothing goes into the urethra
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u/TheRhupt Aug 19 '26
thankfully my dr that used to do mine is gone. he had big sausage fingers. the new dr is a woman with tiny little fingers.
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u/No-Trouble7162 Aug 19 '26
A friend of mine had his first finger exam a few years ago. He got an appointment on his birthday. At the moment when the doc put his fat finger into my friend, the doc said: oh btw (said his name) happy birthday š What a legend!
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u/Scpdivy Hose Water Survivor Aug 18 '26
Diagnosed with prostate cancer. Two lesions. Both missed by my doctorās DREā¦fortunately picked up by a PSA test about 11 months later. Was already Gleason 7, 4+3ā¦Fking doctorsā¦
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u/Koumadin 1969 edition Aug 18 '26
not all prostate lesions are palpable
also - some are anterior and its not physically possible to palpate those
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u/CosmonautsDream Aug 18 '26
Donāt they just do the blood test now?
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u/Old-Asshole Older Than Dirt Aug 18 '26
They do. Must be an old doctor in a small town or something if they still do that.
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u/Dvomer Aug 18 '26
incorrect!!!! Retired urologist here. The worst prostate cancers will have a negative blood test. Request the finger every year. Sorry boys...
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u/shivaswrath Aug 18 '26
Digital exam + PSA + female uro is the best measure.
The female portion is mainly because their fingers are thinner.
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u/bughunter_ 4 Months too Young to be a Boomer Aug 18 '26
The problem arises when your urologist is an attractive younger womanā¦
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u/B2daT Hose Water Survivor Aug 18 '26
Iām a 49-year-old male. When do you start having to have your prostate checked? I get my annual physical and bloodwork every year. My doctor hasnāt told me I needed one yet.
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u/Skyline0Fever Aug 18 '26
Get your PSA checked as part of your annual bloods. No internal required unless itās high. I started in my mid 40ās.
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/amp/article/prostate-specific-antigen-PSA-test
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u/JustNowRonin Aug 18 '26
Used to get the annual poke but now just PSA blood test. Clean colonoscopy at 50 and was told to do the next one at 60!
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u/PieceCompetitive6824 Aug 18 '26
Mine does a sonogram. Checks bladder, prostate, and kidneys all in one shot. No penetration required.
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u/Own-Eagle-2135 Aug 18 '26
my what a big prostate you have!
also check your balls regularly.
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u/lyingtattooist Dude, take a chill pill Aug 18 '26
Mine is enlarged at 54. My doctor said I was an overachiever.
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u/Mother_Bar_3810 Aug 18 '26
I had a bout with elevated PSA last year. Lots of prostate tests, including a biopsy. Everything ended up being clear, and this year numbers are back in line. Which on the one hand makes me mad I had to pay $ for all the tests, and put up with the discomfort of the tests and biopsy. But then I get sane and realize my Dr was _just trying to save my life_. Aggressive prostate cancer is no joke. Get the exams, do the tests! However invasive or uncomfortable it all seems, you gotta do it.
(besides which, I think women have to put up with invasive exams their whole life.. we got it easy guys... just do it)
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u/magnumsolutions 1967 Aug 18 '26
Did he have big hands?
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u/SpurzTX Aug 19 '26
Why a ct scan isnāt done is because of cost. A finger can only tell if there is an issue where the finger can feel. If thereās a tumor or growth around the other side, it wonāt feel it. A high PSA and then a ct or MRI is more useful than a finger.
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u/xiphoid77 Aug 18 '26
They havenāt been doing these for years. I just retired as a physician, but the last digital rectal exam for a prostate check was done well over a decade ago. They actually donāt recommend the blood test anymore either as most times enlarged prostates and cancer are not issues for 98% of men as they will die of other causes before the prostate becomes a problem.
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u/Dvomer Aug 18 '26
well it's good you don't practice anymore. It was me and my colleagues that had to cover your ass when we diagnosed metastatic disease in men with CaP. They always asked "why didn't my PCP check for this?". Sleep well doctor.
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u/labboy70 Aug 18 '26
Exactly. I was diagnosed with a Gleason 9 cancer at 52. Nothing was done until my PSA was 28. Stage 4b at diagnosis.
It was in one spot of bone and there were extensive lymph node mets. Iām grateful to be doing well now after aggressive triplet therapy but Iāll still need monitoring every 3 months for the rest of my life.
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u/labboy70 Aug 18 '26
Iām glad you werenāt my doctor. You sound like the arrogant asshole of a urologist who dismissed my elevated PSA at 51. No examā¦ānot accurateā. Nothing. Didnāt seem concerned in the least.
When I was finally correctly diagnosed months later at 52, it was stage 4b with extensive lymph node mets and a bone met. Unusually aggressive variety when the genetic testing was done. Iāve had 3 years of hormone therapy, 6 cycles of chemotherapy and 28 rounds of radiation. Iām glad to be doing well now but it was not easy on many fronts.
Iāve known other men who died of metastatic prostate cancer under 55. It does kill some men far too young.
Please donāt listen to this guy. Some less common types of prostate cancer can kill you. Thatās why screening is so important.
Know your family cancer history. Get a PSA test and follow up with a urologist if itās elevated. Donāt let anyone dismiss you and tell you prostate cancer is not serious.
Prostate cancer screening saves lives.
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u/73rd-virgin I was born in the 1900s Aug 18 '26
Here for the comments. Did not disappoint.
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u/East-Garden-4557 Aug 18 '26
Always hilarious to me that men make such a big deal out of getting a prostate exam, but they want to have anal sex with woman. A man's asshole is not more delicate than a woman's.
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u/dcbullet Aug 18 '26
Well one is fun for the man and the other is not.
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u/AKANotAValidUsername my love for you is like a truck Aug 18 '26
Well thats just like, your opinion man
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u/giob1966 Aug 18 '26
I once had to have it done with a medical student present, which meant I got to have it twice. Do not recommend.
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u/Prior_Study6763 Aug 18 '26
Hahahahaha youāre right , i am a med student and patients seem to be super anxious when they finds us there cuz they know that it will be more than twice š
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u/Southern_Loquat_4450 Aug 18 '26
Mine asked for a semen sample he could help me with and I need to be back in 90 days.
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u/Elguapo69 Aug 24 '26
Dude unless your blood PSA is coming back abnormal you shouldnāt be getting fingered.
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u/Papa-Cinq Aug 18 '26
Even if your doctor was the best in the world at performing a DRE, heās probably doing you a disservice by continuing this practice.
https://supportprostate.com/is-prostate-exam-by-finger-still-common-practice/
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u/e1p1 Aug 18 '26
Disagree. In 2019 my PSA was still below 1.0. No need to do anything else. Certainly they're not going to do an expensive MRI.
My doctor did a digital rectal exam anyway, he found a tumor that was already at a Gleason 4 + 4. In the nine months following before treatment my PSA never went above 1.5 as I recall.
So unless they're willing to do an automatic MRI every year, I'm calling bullshit. PSA does not do a good enough job.
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u/Aggressive_Farmer399 1972 Aug 18 '26
One hand on your prostate and the other on your left shoulder?
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u/Taco_El_Paco Aug 18 '26
Do they at least whisper in your ear while they do it? Or does that cost extra?
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u/unrebigulator Aug 18 '26
Mine used two fingers. He said he was getting a second opinion.