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Last reviewed: 21 Mar 2025
Last updated: 11 Oct 2024

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • presence of risk factors
  • elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA)

Other diagnostic factors

  • abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE)
  • nocturia
  • urinary frequency
  • urinary hesitancy
  • dysuria
  • haematuria
  • weight loss/anorexia
  • lethargy
  • bone pain
  • palpable lymph nodes

Risk factors

  • age >50 years
  • black ethnicity
  • Northwest European, Caribbean, Australian, New Zealand, North American, and Southern African populations
  • positive family history/genetic factors
  • high levels of dietary fat

Diagnostic investigations

1st investigations to order

  • serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA)
  • prebiopsy multiparametric MRI
  • prostate biopsy

Investigations to consider

  • prebiopsy biomarker testing
  • testosterone
  • LFTs
  • FBC
  • renal function
  • bone scan (technetium-99)
  • CT scan
  • MRI
  • prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-PET/CT
  • PSMA-PET/MRI
  • genetic and molecular testing

Treatment algorithm

Contributors

Authors

Timothy J. Wallace, MD, PhD

Radiation Oncologist

Department of Radiation Oncology

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond

VA

Disclosures

TJW declares that he has no competing interests.

Mitchell S. Anscher, MD, FACR, FACRO, FASTRO

Professor Emeritus

Department of Radiation Oncology

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond

VA

Disclosures

MSA declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Emma Alexander, MBBS

Clinical Oncology Registrar

St Luke's Cancer Centre

Royal Surrey Hospital

Guildford

Surrey

UK

Disclosures

EA has received consultation fees from the following organisations: Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association, Sanofi-Aventis, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Corporation, American Urological Association, National Institutes of Health, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Hartford County Medical Association. EA owns shares in Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Johnson and Johnson, and General Electric Corporation.

Peter Albertsen, MD

Medical Director

UConn Medical Group

University of Connecticut Health Center

Farmington

CT

Disclosures

PA declares that he has no competing interests.

Patrick C. Walsh, MD

University Distinguished Service Professor of Urology

Professor Emeritus of Urology

Brady Urological Institute

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore

MD

Disclosures

PCW declares that he has no competing interests.

James Kearns, MD

Assistant Professor of Urology

NorthShore University HealthSystem

Chicago

IL

Disclosures

JK declares that he has no competing interests. JK is an author of an article cited in the topic.

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