Evaluation of the Role of Digital Rectal Examination and Transrectal Ultrasonography in D agnos s of Prostate Cancer in Turkish Men

Aim: Investigation of the relationship between Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and digital rectal examination(DRE) and transrectal ultrasonography(TRUS) findings in different prostate pathologies. Material and Method: 12-quadrant prostatic biopsy was performed for 229 patients who were admitted to our outpatient clinic between August 2008-January 2009, with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and PSA levels over 4 ng/ml. Histopathological evaluation were as benign adenomatous hyperplasia (BPH) in 91, BPH with chronic prostatitis in 60 and adenocarcinoma in 63 patients. PSA levels between 4.0 and 9.9 ng/ml and PSA level higher than10 ng/ml were determinated as Group1 and Group 2. The relationship between pathologic diagnosis and DRE /TRUS findings were evaluated. Results: While the determination of toughness in DRE didn%u2019t show any difference in terms of pathological diagnosis in group-1, the rate of toughness in group-2 was higher in favor of PCa. In 3 patients, there was nodule in DRE and PSA was below 10ng/ml, 2 of them were diagnosed as BPH and the other one was diagnosed as PCa. PSA was above 9.9ng/ml in other 3 patients and all of them were diagnosed as PCa. While there was no statistically significant relationship between pathologic results and positive or negative TRUS findings in group-1, group-2 had statistically significant relationship. Discussion: TRUS and DRE are more valuable tests for PCa diagnosis but these tests effectiveness is related to PSA.