Pa-DRE ka!

CEBU, Philippines - In observance of June as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, men are urged to back a Department of Health campaign dubbed “Pa-DRE ka!” (from the Spanish “padre” meaning father).

Men are encouraged to submit to a test called DRE, which stands for Digital Rectal Examination, to help detect prostate cancer.

According to healthline.com, a prostate is a “walnut-sized organ that supplies some of the semen released during male ejaculation. This fluid nourishes and protects the sperm released” during ejaculation.

DRE is a simple procedure that doctors use to examine the rectum and other internal organs. It is said to be an easy way to check the health of a man’s prostate gland. Aside from prostate cancer, conditions like enlarged prostate, also called BPH or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, can also be detected with DRE.

How does the test go? Healthline.com explains that the doctor gently inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the patient’s anus. This may sound discomforting to some, but the purpose is to feel for any abnormalities. A swollen or enlarged prostate may be detected as a bulge behind the rectum wall. And as prostate cancer may be detectable as bumps on the normally smooth surface of the prostate, the doctor must apply firm pressure on the prostate. So that men with enlarged or inflamed prostates may feel pain or the urge to urinate.

Patients are asked to put on a hospital gown and lie on the side at the examination table. They may also be asked to squat on the table, bend over the table, or lie on the table with feet in raised stirrups. There no cause for worry since most doctors choose the position that is likely to be most comfortable for the patient.

The probing of the lower rectum will take a few seconds to a minute or a little longer. The physician may press down on the patient’s lower abdomen during the examination so it would best help that a patient prepare for this test.

However, while there is no equipment needed to perform the DRE other than the examination gloves and sterile lubricant, doctors may be unable to reach a definitive diagnosis for BPH in some cases based on the DRE alone. In such instances, the doctor may recommend a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS). Says healthline.com, this is a “procedure wherein an ultrasound wand is inserted into the rectum. The wand produces sound waves and a computer converts the sound waves into images. Doctors use the images to diagnose various diseases of the prostate.”

On June 14 and 15, many clinics and hospitals all over the country offered the DRE service free of charge to mark “Father’s Day.”