What to Expect During the Doctor Visit

In addition to listening to a description of your symptoms, your primary care physician may ask you questions about your general health, your urination patterns (frequent urination, urgency, rate of urinary flow, etc.), and your sexual health.

The doctor may perform or order tests such as:

• General exam, including palpating (feeling) the pelvic area for any abnormalities
• Digital Rectal Exam (DRE)
• PSA test
• Urinalysis — a test or tests that determine and measure the content of urine
• Imaging: Ultrasound may be performed to estimate the size of your prostate and may also detect a prostate stone, or obstruction, or tumor
• Urinary flow study — measure of how quickly urine flows into a special device
• Post-void residual volume (PVR) measurement to check for the amount of urine left in the bladder after voiding

Your next step depends upon what the doctor may find during the examination and the results of your lab tests.

• If nothing out of the ordinary is found with your prostate, your doctor will look for other reasons for your symptoms.
• If you have BPH, commonly referred to as enlarged prostate, or prostatitis, your primary care physician may treat you for these problems or refer you to a urologist.
• If the doctor suspects prostate cancer, you will likely be referred to a urologist.