What is a 'digital rectal exam'?

What is a 'digital rectal exam'?

Mark Vogel (Board Certified Urologist) gives expert video advice on: What is a 'digital rectal exam'?; What is a digital rectal exam looking for during a prostate cancer test?; What is a 'prostate-specific antigen' or PSA? and more...

The digital rectal examination involves the palpation of the prostate through the rectum with a gloved finger. The digital rectal examination was the basic way by which prostate cancer was detected from the earliest times. The problem was that men did not commonly go to their doctor for this exam, and by the time that it could be palpated on this exam, it tended to be a more advanced disease.