When Is a Prostate Biopsy Needed?

Updated on March 2, 2021
Doctor, Medical, Medicine, Health, Stetoscope

Source: Pixabay

For men, the word ‘prostate’ is always a tricky one to hear. There can be so many complications that it instantly fills men with dread. Unfortunately, the routine procedure to check if it is okay can be quite invasive. As a result, thousands of males worldwide suffer from unnecessary issues.

If you don’t want to be one of them, or you want to be well informed to support your partner, it’s essential to watch out for the warning signs. That way, you can react before the situation escalates out of control. Some of the circumstances surrounding prostate exams are notorious, but others aren’t. With that in mind, here are the three main times when a biopsy is required.

Blood in the Urine

Blood in your urine is the main cause of concern among patients and doctors. Once physicians are made aware of the problem, they will instantly schedule a prostate biopsy to ensure everything is fine with your body. This doesn’t mean you are certain or even likely to have cancer or any other form of illness. It’s merely a precaution, as the biopsy will reveal what’s going on so that your doctor can choose the right form of treatment. 

Of course, it’s vital to know that issues with your prostate might manifest themselves in different ways. Therefore, an exam could be required if you have trouble urinating, have a burning sensation when you urinate, or develop unusual sexual side-effects; for example, erectile dysfunction.

Age-Related Discomfort

The prostate is one of many organs that breaks down over time. There are things you can do to prevent it, such as exercising regularly and eating healthily, yet men of a certain age are likely to experience discomfort. As a rule, guys aged fifty-and-over fall into this category due to a condition called ‘benign prostatic hyperplasia’. BPH affects 50% of all men, yet older males are culpable because the tissue is replaced with scar-like tissue as the prostate enlarges, something that occurs with age. 

Thankfully, this has nothing to do with cancer, so there’s a strong chance your biopsy will come back negative. However, it’s imperative to undergo the treatment as there’s no way for doctors to know if the rise in prostate-specific antigen levels is natural or unnatural, since higher rates of PSA do suggest links to cancer. That means they can’t tell the extent of your condition until they have the results of your biopsy test.

Trying for a Baby

Creating life is one of the most special things humans can do, which is why it hurts when things don’t go to plan. Often, men and women blame themselves as if it’s their fault, like the problem is untreatable and irreversible. In fact, prostate-related side-effects can usually be treated and fixed.

For example, you might receive more of a protein that’s essential to making a baby because it liquidizes the semen and helps them travel smoother. As a result, more sperm reaches the egg, giving couples a better chance of conceiving. It is also thought to dissolve cervical mucus to prevent the substance from stopping sperm from entering the uterus. 

Your prostate might not be the first thing you consider concerning conception issues, yet it should be as the gland could be defective. A biopsy will highlight whether your levels are too high or too low.

Summary

A biopsy is critical if you recognize any of the symptoms above. Whether it’s urine in your blood, struggling to conceive or age, a prostate biopsy could reveal all and help you recover.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.