Preparing for a prostate cancer biopsy procedure
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death among Americans. The second type of cancer occurring among men is prostate cancer. Although prostate cancer is deadly, it can have a high survival rate. The key to survival is early and accurate detection and treatment.
The procedure to detect and treat prostate cancer is called a transperineal biopsy. Initially, before a prostate cancer biopsy procedure is scheduled, the doctor will take tests to detect if there are any levels of cancer present. He will perform a rectal exam, and take blood tests for levels of prostate-specific antigens to indicate levels of cancer in the blood. The rectal exam will show any lumps on the prostate.
If there are lumps present, or if the blood test shows elevated antigens, the doctor will schedule the biopsy. He will give you instructions on what to do before the biopsy is performed. He will inform you to refrain from taking any medicine like ibuprofen or aspirin a week prior to the biopsy. He will inform you to stop taking any medication that may affect blood clotting.
Because of the high risk of infection from stools, the doctor may inform you to give yourself a home enema the day of the biopsy or take antibiotics that will help decrease the chance of an infection. Before he performs the biopsy, the doctor will sterilize the site and numb the area.
An imaging device will be inserted into your rectum to allow the doctor to view the area through an ultrasound. Once this is done, the procedure will begin. The prostate cancer biopsy procedure is done by using a needle that passes through the rectum wall. The doctor may choose to pass the needle through the scrotum and anus or the urethra to allow the needle to pass through flesh only.
You will initial feel some pain as the doctor inserts the needle a number of times, usually up to a dozen times. Although the procedure is delicate and painful from the insertion of the needle, the whole process takes less about 30 minutes. Once the transperineal biopsy is done, you will feel some pain and discomfort, bleeding in rectal area, blood in the urine, stools, or semen. This is normal, and should last only a couple of days.
The procedure to detect and treat prostate cancer is called a transperineal biopsy. Initially, before a prostate cancer biopsy procedure is scheduled, the doctor will take tests to detect if there are any levels of cancer present. He will perform a rectal exam, and take blood tests for levels of prostate-specific antigens to indicate levels of cancer in the blood. The rectal exam will show any lumps on the prostate.
If there are lumps present, or if the blood test shows elevated antigens, the doctor will schedule the biopsy. He will give you instructions on what to do before the biopsy is performed. He will inform you to refrain from taking any medicine like ibuprofen or aspirin a week prior to the biopsy. He will inform you to stop taking any medication that may affect blood clotting.
Because of the high risk of infection from stools, the doctor may inform you to give yourself a home enema the day of the biopsy or take antibiotics that will help decrease the chance of an infection. Before he performs the biopsy, the doctor will sterilize the site and numb the area.
An imaging device will be inserted into your rectum to allow the doctor to view the area through an ultrasound. Once this is done, the procedure will begin. The prostate cancer biopsy procedure is done by using a needle that passes through the rectum wall. The doctor may choose to pass the needle through the scrotum and anus or the urethra to allow the needle to pass through flesh only.
You will initial feel some pain as the doctor inserts the needle a number of times, usually up to a dozen times. Although the procedure is delicate and painful from the insertion of the needle, the whole process takes less about 30 minutes. Once the transperineal biopsy is done, you will feel some pain and discomfort, bleeding in rectal area, blood in the urine, stools, or semen. This is normal, and should last only a couple of days.