Preparing For A Prostate Biopsy

According to the American Cancer Society, almost 290,000 Americans have been diagnosed with prostate cancer since the beginning of 2023. While there are different ways to initially assess for the disease, only a prostate biopsy can definitively give a diagnosis. Here’s what you need to know about the procedure. Why Your Doctor Might Request A BiopsyGenerally, your doctor might ask you to undergo a prostate biopsy if they suspect you have cancer. This suspicion may be spurred by the presence of lumps during a digital rectal exam, high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, or a previous biopsy that showed abnormal prostate tissue cells but they weren’t cancerous at the time. It’s also common to do another biopsy if the first one showed no cancerous cells but your PSA levels are still elevated. How To Prepare For The ProcedureBefore doing a biopsy, there are a few things that your doctor will recommend to get you prepared. Since a biopsy carries a small risk of infection, you may be asked to take antibiotics beforehand to prevent that. The procedure can also cause bleeding so you may have to stop taking any medication or supplements that increase bleeding risk a few days before doing...