Digital Rectal Exam DRE
If you have a DRE the doctor will ask you to lie on your side, on an examination table, with your knees brought up towards your chest. If you find it easier, you can stand and lean over the back of a chair or across the examination table instead. The doctor will slide their finger into your anus. The doctor to feel the prostate gland through the wall of your rectum. They will wear gloves and put some gel onto their finger to make it more comfortable. They will feel your prostate for any hard or irregular areas and to judge its size. This may be uncomfortable, but it should not be painful. Some men understandably find it uncomfortable but the test will be over quickly.
If possible, the DRE should be done after a PSA test. Having a DRE straight before a PSA test may raise your PSA level. Your doctor may decide to do them at different appointments.
If the prostate gland feels larger than expected for your age this could be a sign of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A prostate gland with hard bumpy areas may suggest prostate cancer.
If your DRE result shows anything unusual, you may be referred to a hospital specialist. However it is not a completely accurate test. A man with prostate cancer may have a prostate that still feels normal.