Prostate Screening in Albuquerque
Several screenings can identify prostate cancer, even at its earliest stages. Dr. Hemmen helps you decide when screening makes sense for you, explains the results, and guides the next steps if anything needs a closer look.
Understanding Prostate Screening
Prostate cancer is a cancer specific to men. Several screenings are available to identify the presence of cancer within the prostate gland, even at its earliest stages. Fortunately, prostate cancer is a highly manageable disease among most men, with some doctors recommending very conservative treatment plans to men who test positive for the disease. Long-term prognosis partially depends on the stage in which prostate cancer is found. Prostate screenings are capable of identifying prostate cancer early, providing patients with the opportunity to take charge of the treatment process.
Screening is a personal decision that you and your physician make together, weighing your age, family history and other risk factors along with the potential benefits and limitations of testing. Dr. Hemmen takes the time to walk through those trade-offs so the choice is an informed one.
Symptoms Worth Discussing With Your Physician
- Frequent or painful urination
- Weak urine flow
- Chronic pelvic, back or hip pain
- Painful ejaculation
- Blood-tinged urine or semen
What to Expect
- An unhurried conversation about your risk factors, family history and screening options
- PSA blood testing ordered when screening is right for you
- A digital rectal exam when appropriate
- Results explained clearly, with time for your questions
- Coordination with a urologist if further evaluation is needed
- Screening folded into your broader preventive care plan
Our Approach to Prostate Screening
An informed decision, the right testing, and clear next steps
Shared Decision-Making
The decision to get a prostate screening is between you and your doctor. Dr. Hemmen reviews your age, family history and overall health, and explains what screening can and cannot tell you.
Thoughtful Testing
Screening often has two parts: a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and, when appropriate, a digital rectal exam. Dr. Hemmen orders and interprets the testing that fits your situation.
Clear Next Steps
If results raise questions, you may need repeat testing, additional screening, or a referral to a urologist for further evaluation such as a biopsy. Dr. Hemmen explains each step and stays involved.
Benefits
Earlier Detection
Long-term prognosis partially depends on the stage at which prostate cancer is found. Screening can identify it early, giving you more options.
Context for Your Numbers
A PSA level can rise for reasons other than cancer. Having one physician who follows your results over time helps put each number in context.
Time for Questions
Visits designed to last up to an hour leave room to talk through a topic many men find hard to raise in a rushed appointment.
Coordinated Care
If you need a specialist, Dr. Hemmen helps coordinate the referral and helps you understand the options you are offered.
What to Expect
The Conversation
You and Dr. Hemmen discuss symptoms, family history and whether screening makes sense for you now.
The Screening
Screening may include a PSA blood test and a digital rectal exam, during which your doctor uses a gloved finger to feel the prostate gland from inside the rectum. The exam is brief.
Your Results
Dr. Hemmen reviews your results with you. Normal results usually mean continuing to screen at an interval you agree on together.
If Results Raise Questions
You may need supplemental screenings or a biopsy. If cancer is found, your doctor will help you understand your treatment options, which for some men include careful monitoring rather than immediate treatment.
Did You Know?
More than 200,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the U.S. every year. Early prostate cancer often causes no symptoms at all, which is one reason screening matters.
When symptoms do appear, they can include those listed above, though many of them are more often caused by noncancerous conditions such as an enlarged prostate or an infection. Either way, they are worth discussing with your physician.
Common Questions About Prostate Screening
Should I get a prostate screening?
The decision to get a prostate screening is between you and your doctor. You may benefit from early prostate screening if you have a family history of prostate cancer, particularly cancer that has occurred at a young age. However, many healthy men with no genetic predisposition to prostate cancer begin periodic screenings sometime between the ages of 40 and 50.
What should I expect during a prostate screening?
Prostate screening is often made up of two parts. The first is the digital rectal exam, during which your doctor will use a gloved finger to feel the prostate gland from the inside of your rectum. The second part of your prostate screening may include a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test to measure the amount of PSA in the blood.
What will happen after my prostate screening?
If your screening results raise questions about the health of your prostate, you may need supplemental screenings or a biopsy. If your prostate exam returns positive for cancer, your doctor will offer you options for treatment.
Does an elevated PSA mean I have cancer?
Not necessarily. PSA can be raised by an enlarged prostate, inflammation, infection and other factors. That is why results are interpreted in context and sometimes repeated before deciding on next steps.
Related Services
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Adult Physicals
Unhurried annual exams with age-appropriate screenings and a clear plan for the year ahead.
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Preventive Care
Screenings, risk assessment and lifestyle guidance designed to keep preventable problems from becoming serious ones.
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Internal Medicine
Board-certified internal medicine for adults, from routine care to complex conditions.
Have Questions About Prostate Screening?
Talk it through with Dr. Hemmen in an unhurried visit at Body1MD in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque.
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