Is the digital rectal exam any good as a prostate cancer screening test?
Michael Kirby, Samuel WD Merriel, Oluwabunmi Olajide, Alexander Norman, Nikhil Vasdev, Vishwanath Hanchanale, Michelle Cain, Malcolm Wilkinson, Harley Stephens, Deborah Victor, William Kinnaird, Alison Tree, Amarnath Challapalli, Amy Rylance
Abstract
There is no shortage of references in popular culture to the prostate examination, with many a laugh built on the punchline of the finger up the bum. Interestingly, while cervical, breast, or bowel screening share barriers to uptake around the intimacy of the examination, ‘ick-factor’, or cultural taboos, they have never become comedy tropes — reflecting the uniquely emasculating perception of the rectal examination.
Topics & Concepts
MedicineRectal examinationTest (biology)ProstateMedical physicsProstate cancerGynecologyGeneral surgeryCancerInternal medicinePaleontologyBiologyProstate Cancer Diagnosis and TreatmentColorectal Cancer Screening and DetectionColorectal Cancer Surgical Treatments