What sorts of investigations is my doctor likely to carry out?

Your doctor may ask you to complete a questionnaire, like the self examination here, to help gauge the severity of your symptoms.

If you have symptoms, you will probably be offered a digital rectal examination (often known simply as a DRE, which involves the doctor inserting a gloved finger into your rectum to check your prostate) and a blood test for prostate specific antigen (PSA). If these suggest that you may have a risk of prostate cancer, you will probably be offered a trans-rectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate biopsy. This involves inserting a probe via your rectum to take small samples of prostate tissue, which can then be analysed in a laboratory. See the investigations and tests page