
Each year thousands of men worldwide undergo a
biopsy of the prostate to determine if they have cancer. Mostly this is prompted after a blood test to measure Prostate Specific Antigen levels, a protein produced by male sex organs including the
prostate gland. While various causes can effect PSA levels, including cycling, strenuous exercise and ejaculation, a significant increase above the normal range can be an indication of cancer and for safety sake a biopsy may be scheduled.
The Prostate Biopsy Procedure
The only real way to determine if any
cancer is present is to perform a
biopsy, however like any medical procedure it carries risks. Any risks must be weighed against the possible benefits, the main one being early detection and treatment of a cancer if it's found. The actual prostate biopsy is a minor operation and lasts about thirty minutes. During this time the doctor will insert into the rectal canal a probe which is rather like a wand and about the thickness of a small finger. The probe is a clever device that transmits ultrasound images of the
prostate to allow for recording images. It also helps guide the doctor to locate known probable
cancer sites. To enable the taking of prostate tissue samples the probe is fitted with spring loaded hollow needles. At an appropriate locations the doctor fires a needle into the gland to remove a core for later examination.
The Risks of Prostate Biopsy.
As stated, any medical procedure carries to a degree some kind of risk. The
prostate biopsy is no different and several possible hazards may develop from it. Shying away from any possible risks in itself risks not pursuing the possible presence of a life threatening disease. I myself have undergone this procedure and have no regrets in doing so. I felt ignoring the indications of a potentially deadly illness was too foolhardy to contemplate.
Bleeding.
The hollow needles from the probe are fired into the gland to extract a core sample, this in effect punctures the gland leaving a long thin hole. The hole is tiny but nevertheless it is a wound to the tissues and the damage will therefore bleed. The procedure can demand anything from six to eighteen samples taken with the normal being twelve. With up to a dozen wounds any movement from walking to urinating will disturb the healing process in the same way as knocking a scab off a spot and a little blood loss will occur. In the normal course of things, providing no blood clotting problems pre-exist, the wounds will heal up naturally within a few weeks at most. Although blood can be seen in urine or bowel movements for several days and more significantly in semen for up to six or maybe eight weeks, it will diminish and eventually stop altogether. If any bleeding is still experienced after these time scales medical attention must be sought.
Swelling of the Gland
For post middle-age men the
prostate enlarges naturally as a consequence of the ageing process. The urethra, the pipe through which urine and semen is expelled is encased by the prostate and becomes squeezed leading to difficulty urinating. You will be well aware that any injury is often followed by a swelling to the generalised area as the body rallies to repair the damage. Looking at multiple needle stab wounds as an injury it is entirely realistic to assume the prostate will swell up while healing completes. If swelling is significant enough it could lead to urination problems and medication may be needed but in the majority of cases it is not a problem.
Infection.
There are several ways to perform a
prostate biopsy including passing a needle along the penis's urethra. However the more usual way is to insert the probe into the rectum and fire the needle through the bowel wall and into the gland. The bowel and rectum is of course teeming with bacteria and punching a hole through it risks allowing some of that bacteria to escape inside the body. There is the added danger as well of the needles picking up bacteria and plunging it into the gland to cause infection. Fortunately a powerful antibiotic is normally injected into the patient just prior to the operation. A further antibiotic suppository will be inserted deep into the rectum afterwards and in addition a five day course of the medication is to be taken orally. Despite the chance of contracting an infection only a very small number of patients actually do so.
Cancer Cell Escape
Should a
prostate cancer tumour actually exist, by puncturing it to gather core samples it is said there is the possibility that cancer cells might escape into the blood stream. The cells then have the ability to travel through the body to other locations to colonize them and develop thus spreading the disease. Opinions on this are divided but the potential may exist.
Anaesthesia.
In the notes I was given before my biopsy it stated an anaesthetic would be administered to the prostate ensuring a painless procedure. I honestly do not recall having this done and each needle shot was a brief but sharp sting. I am also aware that some people are simply unable to tolerate any kind of pain. In these instances such a patient may be given a general anaesthetic to cope. Anaesthetic of any kind comes with very real risks and due consideration of the consequences must be thought through before taking this course of action.
As I have laid out here, although a
prostate biopsy may be a relatively minor procedure it is not without sometimes significant risks and dangers. I cannot openly advise anyone on whether they should agree to one or not. That must be a personal decision based on all kinds of individual factors and influences. I simply wished to set out the facts about what this medical action entails.