What is a digital rectal exam looking for during a prostate cancer test?

What is a digital rectal exam looking for during a prostate cancer test?

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...

During this exam, with the gloved finger inserted into the rectum, the doctor is palpating the prostate. He's noting the size of the gland, the consistency, are there any hard spots, or is the gland mobile or fixed. All of these factors may be something that is used to determine whether infected is a prostate cancer.