Urological Health Prostate Health How a Doctor Performs a Prostate Exam By Lisa Fayed Lisa Fayed is a freelance medical writer, cancer educator and patient advocate. Learn about our editorial process Lisa Fayed Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Chris Vincent, MD on November 09, 2019 linkedin Chris Vincent, MD, is a licensed physician, surgeon, and board-certified doctor of family medicine. Learn about our Medical Review Board Chris Vincent, MD Updated on January 27, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Prostate Cancer Screening What to Expect What Happens After the DRE Depending on your general health, your age (usually 50 years old and up), or if you are having difficulty in passing urine, your doctor may advise a prostate examination. If you have no urinary symptoms but are concerned about your risk for prostate cancer, you may want to have a discussion with your doctor regarding the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening. You may or may not be familiar with the prostate exam procedure itself, but have you ever wondered what the doctor's looking for exactly? Verywell / Michela Buttignol Prostate Cancer Screening There are two types of tests doctors use to screen for prostate cancer: A blood test where prostate cancer can be found early by testing the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. A digital rectal exam (DRE) (where the doctor puts a gloved finger, or "digit," into the rectum to feel the prostate gland) It is usually the DRE procedure that alarms most men. To ease your nerves here is a breakdown of what a digital rectal exam entails. What to Expect During the Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) Your doctor may examine you either standing or lying down. If standing, you will be asked to stand facing the examination bed, with feet apart, body bent forward and your arms or elbows on the bed. Feel free to ask your doctor to give you a heads up before making any sudden movements.Wearing surgical gloves, the doctor will coat a finger in lubricant.The finger will be inserted into your rectum in a downwards angle. You may feel a little pressure or slight discomfort, but it shouldn't hurt. It is important to relax and take deep breaths and let the doctor know immediately if there is pain.Your doctor may have to wait a few seconds for your external sphincter muscle to relax, and may ask you to bear down as if you are having a bowel movement.The doctor moves the finger in a circular motion in order to identify the lobes and groove of the prostate gland. The doctor checks for:Lumps on or around the prostateSwelling TendernessHard spots or bumps (the gland should be smooth) Abnormalities on the prostateA normal prostate is usually around 2-4 cm long and has a triangular shape, with a firm and rubbery textureOnce finished, your doctor will probably tell you he is going to remove his finger. You may be offered some tissue or wipes to clean off the lubricant.The whole procedure should take about 5 minutes from start to finish, and there are no special precautions that need to be taken prior to the exam. What Happens After the DRE If any abnormalities are found during the DRE, the doctor may order more tests and possibly schedule a prostate biopsy to see if there are any signs of cancer present. If there are no signs of prostate cancer found during screening, the results of the PSA blood test may help to determine the time between future prostate cancer screenings. PSA levels vary by age and other factors. Ultimately, you and your doctor will decide how often you should be screened since your diet, health and lifestyle habits are all factors on the timing and frequency of your prostate cancer screenings. Be sure to consult with your doctor if you notice any changes in your health. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Prostate Problems. National Institute on Aging. Jul 1, 2016. Eastham J. Prostate cancer screening. Investig Clin Urol. 2017;58(4):217-219. doi:10.4111/icu.2017.58.4.217 Heidegger I, Fritz J, Klocker H, Pichler R, Bektic J, Horninger W. Age-Adjusted PSA Levels in Prostate Cancer Prediction: Updated Results of the Tyrol Prostate Cancer Early Detection Program. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):e0134134. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0134134 Additional Reading Tanagho EA, McAninch JW. Smith's General Urology, 17th Edition. National Cancer Institute. Prostate Cancer Screening (PDQ).