GPs were told to stop performing intimate prostate exams over fears it would prevent men from coming forward
GPs have been told to stop carrying out intimate examinations when checking for prostate cancer, amid fears it could put men off coming forward.
New guidelines published in the British Journal of General Practice say the test is not reliable and is likely to do more harm than good.
This allows doctors to only feel the back wall of the prostate, meaning any abnormalities in the center or front of the gland are missed.
The bulletin, produced by Prostate Cancer UK’s clinical advisory group, said: ‘There is no shortage of references to prostate screening in popular culture, with many a laugh coming from the finger-in-the-butt punchline.
More than 52,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK every year, making it the most common form of cancer in men (File image)
King Charles leaves the London Clinic after treatment for an enlarged prostate, in London, Great Britain, January 29, 2024
‘Interestingly, although cervical, breast or bowel screening presents the same barriers around the intimacy of the examination… they have never become comic tropes – reflecting the uniquely disempowering perception of the rectal examination.’
It comes after a survey of more than 2,000 men by Prostate Cancer UK found that 60 percent were concerned about having a digital rectal examination (DRE).
Of these, 37 percent would not talk to a GP about prostate concerns because of their check-up.
Existing guidance from healthcare watchdog NICE says men with elevated levels of the protein PSA in their blood – which can be a sign of cancer – should be sent for an MRI scan, meaning the intimate examination is of little value.
The group’s article tells GPs: ‘Doing a DRE does not add to your decision-making and an MRI will much more accurately indicate whether there are likely benign causes for the elevated PSA level and whether the man can be discharged without a biopsy .’
It comes after a survey of more than 2,000 men by Prostate Cancer UK found that 60 percent were concerned about having a digital rectal examination (DRE) (File image)
More than 52,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK every year, making it the most common form of cancer in men. About 12,000 men die from the disease every year – one every 45 minutes.
Chiara De Biase, from Prostate Cancer UK, said: ‘For too many men, when they think about a prostate cancer test, their first thought is a ‘finger in the butt’.
‘But the evidence is that it’s not really a good test for prostate cancer… the best first step is a quick and easy blood test.’
The Mail has been at the forefront of the fight against prostate health since 1999, encouraging men to stop ‘dying of shame’.