title: Role of digital rectal examination and prostate specific antigen in detecting carcinoma prostate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the ability of digital rectal examination (DRE) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) in detecting carcinoma prostate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in the Department of Urology and Renal Transplantation from December 1996 to December 1999.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred patients entered the protocol. They presented with complaint of prostatism or retention of urine. The patients were evaluated with estimation of serum prostate specific antigen and digital rectal examination was performed. Prostatic tissue biopsy was also done.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Digital rectal examination has shown sensitivity of 63% and specificity of 73.22%. The sensitivity of PSA was 87% and specificity was 70.8%. The positive predictive value for DRE and PSA was 57.5% and 78.04% respectively. Negative predictive value was 73.22% and 85.22% respectively. P value was statistically significant <0.037. In the second part of study a baseline serum PSA level in age-matched 200 patients without history of prostatism was estimated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was concluded that PSA represent an important adjunct to DRE for detection of prostate carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. drnaveed69@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Naveed
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: Ahmad Nawaz
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Bhatti
authors.forename: Sajjad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Husain
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012007:Rectum
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen