Prostate biopsy
The prostate is a small gland, found only in men, and lies at the base of the bladder. As men grow older, the prostate gland starts to enlarge and some men may experience irritation of the bladder and difficulty passing urine. The prostate gland produces a protein called Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and a raised level of PSA in the bloodstream may indicate benign enlargement, infection or prostate cancer. The best way to determine the cause of a raised PSA level is to take tiny samples (biopsies) from the prostate gland and examine them under a microscope.
To find out more about having a prostate biopsy download the patient information factsheet|.