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A 41-year-old member asked:

Is it a problem if my doctor uses psa (protein specific antigen) tests instead of a digital rectal exam for the prostate?

1 doctor answer3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Lester Thompson
Pathology 35 years experience
No: Prostate specific antigen (not protein) is a very sensitive marker of prostate function. It very frequently will be elevated before any abnormality is detected by digital rectal exam. However, nothing beats a good clinician being able to feel something on exam. So, really, the two work together to achieve the best results.
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Last updated Aug 28, 2013

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