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Why it's done
By Mayo Clinic staff
A prostate biopsy is used to detect prostate cancer. Your doctor may recommend a prostate biopsy if:
- Results of a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test are higher than normal for your age
- Your doctor found lumps or other abnormalities during a digital rectal exam
- You've had a previous biopsy that was normal, but you still have elevated PSA levels
- A previous biopsy revealed prostate tissue cells that were abnormal but not cancerous
References
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How is prostate cancer diagnosed? American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/ProstateCancer/DetailedGuide/prostate-cancer-diagnosis. Accessed Feb. 21, 2013.
- Wein AJ, ed., et al. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6911-9..C2009-1-60786-3--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-6911-9&uniqId=310232887-6. Accessed Feb. 21, 2013.
- How to read your pathology report. MyBiopsy.org. http://www.cap.org/apps/docs/reference/myBiopsy/pathology_report.html. Accessed Feb. 21, 2013.
- Castle EP (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Ariz. Feb. 24, 2013.
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