An urologist is a doctor specializing in genitourinary system disorders. Like your doctor, your urologist will be interested in your:
- Symptoms
- Family history
- Medical history
Your urologist will probably ask you to retake certain tests and exams that you were already given, but there he will also ask you to undergo a number of other tests that will help in determining your diagnosis. It is important to know whether you have prostate cancer or benign prostatic hyperplasia:
- A physical examination;
- A digital rectal exam (DRE);
- A PSA test;
- A urine analysis;
- A urine flow test: this test checks to make sure that the bladder and sphincter that is responsible for holding the urine in the bladder is working. For this test, you will need to urinate into a special funnel connected to an instrument that calculates the speed of urination;
- A bladder ultrasound: this ultrasound evaluates the volume of urine remaining in the bladder after urination, and the possible urinary obstruction due to pressure from the prostate;
- A transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) of the prostate;
- A magnetic resonance imaging of the prostate (MRI): Allows visualization of the prostate and possibly cancerous lesions in it;
- A prostate biopsy.