Prostate biopsy

Prostate biopsy is a procedure in which small hollow needle-core samples are removed from a man’s prostate gland to be examined microscopically for the presence of cancer. It is typically performed when the result from a PSA blood test rises to a level that is associated with the possible presence of prostate cancer. It may also be considered advisable after a digital rectal exam (DRE) finds possible abnormality. PSA screening is controversial as PSA may become elevated due to non-cancerous conditions such as a benign enlargement of the prostate (BPH, benign prostatic hyperplasia), by infection, or by manipulation of the prostate during surgery or catheterization; and many prostate cancers detected by screening develop so slowly that they would not cause problems during a man’s lifetime, making the complications due to treatment unnecessary.